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Other Science Fiction Stories 
In This Issue: 

"AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY" 
by Cleric Ashton Smith 

"THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS" 
y Nathan Schachner and Arthur L Za^at 

"THE RETURN FROM JUPITER” 
by Gawain Edwards 






WONDER STORIES 



1201 



The Gambler 

He gambles that a "lucky break” will 
come to him in the course of time 



M ost men live in the HOPE that their “lucky break” will 
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them in the course of TIME. 

This is a WORSE form of GAMBUNO than gambling for 
HONEY with a card sharp or a “three shell game” expert. 

Gambling on what TIME and FATE have in store for you 
is more costly than any other form of gambling known. 

Yon lose HOSE than money. You lose your SELF- 
RESPECT. You lose the self-respect of those about you. 

And as each year passes your CHANCE to amount to any- 
thing hecomes slii^er and slimmer. ^ 

You get discouraged. Yon begin to feel that fate is AGAINST 
you Yon complain secretly about your ill luck. Perhaps you hide 
your shortcomings behind a whole flock of easy EXCUSES. 

But the hard, cold world doesn’t care, about you 
You've got to look out for YOURSELF. 

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(Hty Sute =* 







WONDER 



Stones 



THE MAGAZINE 
PROPHETIC FICTION 



OF 



Vol. 2, No. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS April, 1931 

EMPEROR OF THE STARS by Nathan Sehaehner and 'Arthur L. Zagat 1210 

Bowed under the iron will of The Emperor was that universe of strange worlds, 
until two men blindly stumbled in . 

AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY by Clark Ashton Smith 1230 

Everywhere spread the Black Rot .... a civilization crumbled . • . . while in the 
qiuirters of the Venusians came rumblings of revolt . . . • 

JHE SARGASSO MONSTER by Edsel Newton 1252 

Helpless on the unknown continent, they faced the primeval monsters .... 

(THE MAN WHO EVOLVED by Edmond Hamilton 1266 

Transformed by cosmic power he became like a god .... but on he went .... 

THE CONQUEST OF GOLA by Leslie F. Stone 1278 

Into the peaceful life of Gola came the predatory earthmen .... sneering, they 
looked upon the women rulers .... 

GREAT GREEN THINGS by Thomas H. Knight 1288 

Masters of their empire, they remained triumphant. But once a plane landed ... 

THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 

by Gawain Edwards (In Two Parts — Part Two) 

A world transformed, another enslaved .... over all gloated Dolmician, %mtU 



before him stood the outraged Alius .... 

WHAT IS YOUR SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE? 1327 

SCIENCE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1329 

THE READER SPEAKS— Letters From Readers 1332 



ON THE COVER this month, from Edmond Hamilton’s tmnsnal story, “The Man 
Who Evolved” we see the fearless scientist evolved by cosmic power a hundred 
million years beyond the level of the race. Bodily development has yielded to 
that of the brain, and the frail form can barely support the tremendous brain. 



WOX^DEB STO&l£S~lfODthly— £nt«r«<] m iwond eliM la 

the Post OiTlco at Now York, N. Y., uodor act ot Uarcb 8. 
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oopnlgbu b7 permlsaloD at Oecntback Pablfcatioof, loe.. 88 
Farit Place, New York City, owner of all trademark rubu. 
CopyriKbt, 1931, by Gerosback Publications. Inc. Text and iI-> 
luatcatlooa of this aM copyrlfbt and must not be re* 

pxodoced without permlsston of the copyHgbt owners. 

VTONDEB 9VOniE9 Is pobUsbed oo the 8rd of the 
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ta United States and Its possessions. Is Canada and forelgD 
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lees authors remit full pnetige 

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addreas and notify us as &r in adraoce at potslbla. 



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1202 



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WONDER STORIES 



1203 








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**8oltf 6 
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1204 



WONDER STORIES 




MWBrACniAI. WORK 

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WONDER STORIES 



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WONDER STORIES 



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= 700 YEARS HENCE! 

A CLASSIC IN SCIENCE-FICTION 




M r. HUGO GERNSBACK, Editor of WONDER STORIES, herewith presents in book 

form his famous story — RALPH 124C 41-1 a romance of the year 2660. This story 

originally ran in MODERN ELECTRICS, one of Mr. Gernsback’s magazines; there are 
only a limited number of copies of this book available at present. This book is the fore- 
runner of all modern science 
Vnll,, IHnstfrntfitt hu fiction stories and contains 

t uuy iuustratea oy „jgj.g f^^y^g 

the famous Paul , inventions (some of which 

have already come true) than 
any book of its kind that has 
ever been published. It is 
science fiction plus. A pion- 
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knowledge of the subjects, 
coupled with a finely 
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shadow with almost 
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some of the more re- 
cent developments. 
His earlier predic- 
tions, which have 
appeared from time 
to time during the 
past decade in 
many newspapers 
and magazines, are 
now realities. Every 
prophecy is based 
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fic knowledge. His 
ideas are no more 
fantastic than the 
realities and com- 
monplaces of our 
everyday life 
would have been 
to our great 
grandfathers. 

So many WON- 
DER STORIES 
readers have 
asked us if this 
story can stiil 
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book form, that 
we had a lim- 
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book was 



COUPON 



AVIATION PUBUCATIONS, WS 431 

245 Greenwich Street* 

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Gentlemen: 

Enclosed find $2.00, for which please send me 
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book to be autographed by Hugo Gemsback. 



of print. 



IF YOU ORDER AT ONCE 
MR. HUGO GERNSBACK 
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The book is illustrated throughout by Paul, tbs 
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245 Greenwich SL, New York, N. Y. 




VOLUME 2 
No. 11 




APRIL 

1931 



.... Prophetic Fiction is the Mother of Scientific Fact . . • 

Hugo Gernsback, Editor-in-Chief 

DAVID LASSER, Managing Editor FRANK R.'PAUL, Art Editor 

C. P. MASON, Associate Editor 




THE WONDERS OF CREATION 

By HUGO GERNSBACK 

ERY recently, Prof. Einstein 
had a change of mind and 
announced that he no longer 
believed in his original con- 
cept of a closed universe. 

Originally, Einstein pictured 

the limits of space as similar to that of 
a bubble, the material world being en- 
closed completely inside but the surface 
having no end, any more than a sphere 
can have an end. Einstein was not con- 
cerned with what lay outside of the 
sphere. In order to understand this 
concept, one must be a mathematician 
because it does not fit in with the reason- 
ing processes of the non-mathematical 
mentality. 

For one I have always been reluctant 
to accept this part of Einstein’s concept 
of the universe, and the idea of a limited 
space is as repugnant as the idea of a 
finite infinity or the finiteness of time. 

Of course, everything along this line of 
thought must for a long time be purely 
speculative, and perhaps will always re- 
main so. There is indeed much doubt 
that the ultimate nature of space will 
ever be fully _ understood by the human 
mind for it is not constituted to deal 
with such immensities. 

The mathematical mind will tell you 
that space cannot exist without matter. 

Supposing we consider a star on the very 
limits of this cosmic universe. The 
present concept is, at least from a mathe- 
matical viewpoint, that anything that lies 
beyond the star ' is not space because 
there is no matter there. Of course, to 
the non-mathematical mind this seems 
an absurdity because the mind will in- 
sist that there must be space beyond the 
star, even if there is no matter. The 
point can be argued pro and con and 
we will probably not get much farther 
in the end. Then too, such questions as 
when space originated, how long it has 
lasted and if there is to be an end to 
space, may all seem fruitless speculations, 
but they are questions asked by the 
average curious mind. 

Lately, Tolman has come forward with 



the idea of an expanding universe, which 
again conflicts with older concepts be- 
cause an expanding universe also brings 
with it the thought of an expanding space. 

All of these theories do not in the least 
conflict with the general Einsteinian 
theory of relativity, as they really have 
nothing to do with it and they do not 
disturb the space-time concept of Einstein 
in the least. 

In the meanwhile, the only answer to 
the riddle that might be given in the 
future will be direct astronomical obser- 
vation and it is here that we can look 
for perhaps a partial answer to the 
riddle. Every time a new and larger tele- 
scope is trained on the skies, we learn 
more about the secrets of space, and the 
farther we penetrate into its immensity, 
the more we will be able to deduce. 

For instance, it is not at all certain 
that conditions within our own galaxy, 
are the same as those of other universes, 
located millions or billions of light years 
away from us. The interlay of forces 
such as gravitation, for instance, might 
be entirely different in one universe than 
they are in another. The universal laws 
might be the same, yet the effects might 
be entirely different for reasons that we 
can but dimly vision today. 

We know practically nothing of the in- 
ter-relation of different universes. If, 
for example, we have two island universes 
some millions of light years apart from 
each other, with no other matter nearby, 
what will be the status of these cosmic 
entities? Will they be motiopless or 
will they be attracted to each other, and 
will they gravitate about each other as 
for instance the Moon does around the 
Earth or as the planets gravitate around 
the Sun? It is, of course, the tremend- 
ous distances that are concerned here 
which may make the conditions totally 
different than if comparatively minute 
distances, such as planetary^ or ordinary 
interstellar distances, were involved. On 
these tantalizing problems future astron- 
omical researches will no doubt throw 
a great deal of light. 



1209 



i 




The Emperor^f/Z^^Stars 



By Nathan Schachner and Arthur L* Zagat 




(Illustrated by Marchioni)] 

A vast tran^arent sphere had floated into their space. Inside the 
shell, bathed in blue light, was observed the queer “human” creature. 



1210 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1211 



«TT 7 PRE a quarter of a million miles off 
TT our course!” 

Joe Burns looked up from the oxygena- 
tion apparatus, whose valves he had been 
adjusting. “That’s lovely! What’s happen- 
ed?” 

“Don’t know,” replied A1 Fries, naviga- 
tor of the first terrestrial expedition to the 
planet Pluto, outpost of the solar system. 
“We’ve swung that 
much off in the last 
four hours. And I 
can’t find a damn 
thing wrong. Speed 
relative to the Sun 
hasn’t varied from a 
steady thousand miles 
per second. Correc- 
tive side rockets have 
exploded regularly and 
the meters show full 
pK>wer. 

“I’ve checked and re- 
checked my calcula- 
tions till I’m dizzy. All 
correct. Didn’t want 
to tell you till I was 
sure I couldn’t find the 
error. No use bother- 
ing you, you’ve enough 
to do keeping us alive 
in here. Inside’s your 
job, outside’s mine. 

But I’m stuck now!” 

They had passed 
Neptune in their flight, 
and were out in the un- 
traveled reaches of 
space, midway in their 
journeying to the new 
planet. 

“Two hundred and fifty thousand miles 
off, you say. Which way?” Burns’ steady 
tones revealed no perturbation over the 
alarming news. 

“Minus on the plane Alpha 45 deg. 10'’ 
24"; on Gamma 12 deg. 10' 54"* 



*Space navigation is plotted hy reference to three 
planes having Earth as their common intersection. 
One of these planes (Alpha) is determined by the 
plane of the ecliptic, and nses therefore the celestial 
^bere. The others (Beta and Gamma) are at right 
4ngles to this plane and to each other. 



“Perhaps we’ve gotten into the attraction 
sphere of some unknown planet,” Burns sug- 
gested. 

“Impossible. Any body which could ex- 
ert enough attraction to swing us so rapidly 
off our course against the inertia our great 
speed gives us would be clearly apparent to 
the naked eye, or at least in our telescope. 
There isn’t any. I’ve looked my eyes out. 

Besides, I’ve searched 
every direction with 
the gravito-statoscope* 
and found no evidence 
of any attractive force 
not accounted for by 
known bodies. You 
know that instrument 
will respond to the at- 
traction of a grain of 
dust at a distance of 
five hundred miles. 
No, Joe, there just 
isn’t any explanation.” 
“Have you tried the 
emergency corrective 
rockets?’’ 

“Sure have. Used 
as many as I dared. 
The explosions didn’t 
have the slightest ef- 
fect!” 

“Hell, Al, you must 
be off your nut. What 
you tell me just can’t 
be so. Wish I knew 
enough math to check 
your figures. Not 
that I haven’t all the 
confidence in the world 
— I mean universe — in 
you, but maybe this 
long lonesome journey is getting you.” 

Fries paled. “Do you really think that’s 
it, Joe?” 

The chemist laughed. “Oh forget it, old 
boy. Of course I didn’t mean it. But you 
stop thinking along that line or it witl be 
so. Here, let me get at that telescope — I’ll 
find the mischief-maker.” 

Joe stepped smilingly to the eye-piece of 

* An instrument for detecting new gravitational in* 

fluences acting on the ship. 



i^**'T^HERE are more'^ 
' things” said Hamlet, 

“than are dreamt of in your 
philosophy.” This story by 
our popular team of auth- 
ors serves but to prove this 
oft-quoted phrase. 

Sir James Jeans has only 
recently assured us that 
the world we inhabit is but 
a ' product of our senses, 
and may be simply a three- 
dimensional projection 
from a super world. Sim- 
ilarly it is possible for oth- 
er worlds to exist all about 
us, whose laws may be en- 
tirely different than ours. 

All our physical laws 
such as gravitation, etc. are 
possibly peculiar to our 
universe; and in another 
universe particles of matter 
may repel each other in- 
stead of attracting. 

Surely the possibilities of 
a corking story in a theme 
like this are endless. Our 
authors have taken advan- 
tage of them to create a 
stirring tale of the adven- 
tures of two Earth-men in 
^an alien universe. ^ 



1212 



WONDER STORIES 



the powerful electro-optical refractor. He 
turned one or two gleaming thumb-screws, 
then squinted into the tube. The smile slow- 
ly died from his face, instead a look of 
amazement took its place that turned to 
terror. His face was white. “Al, come 
here!” he whispered. 

“What is it, what do you see?” 

“Nothing.” 

“Then why are you looking like that?” 
“I said nothing, not nothing new! I see 
absolutely nothing ! ” 

“What!” Fries almost shouted. “Here, 
give me that ’scope.” 

In his turn the navigator gazed long and 
seiu-chingly through the eyepiece. His 
bronzed face 
too, betrayed 
the blood 
wit bdrawn, 
called back to 
an affrighted 
heart. 

I N all that 
vast sky, 
space had 
been swept 
clean ! Noth- 
ing but black- 
ness. The num- 
berless points 
o f dazzling 
lights that 
were great 
worlds and 
huge suns had gone as if some cosmic hand 
had erased them from the skies! Their 
staunch ship floated in total emptiness! 

“Al, look here, look!” Burns, impertur- 
able no longer, was pointing with trembling 
finger to the bank of white dials. 

Fries looked. The pointer of every in- 
strument, showing their relation to some out- 
side body, was at zero! The velocimcter, 
the deviatoscope, even the gravito-statoscope. 
None Was functioning! 

The two adventurers gazed at each other 
in blank wonderment. What could this 
mean? It could not be true, that they had 
passed beyond all other matter, that they 
were alone in space, that within the ^ell of 




ARTHUR L. ZAGAT 



this little space-flier was the entire material 
universe ! Incredible ! 

And yet — ^what other explanation could 
there be? 

While still their reeling brains strove with 
the problem, there was a lurch — one only — 
a flash of blinding light at the quartz port- 
hole — then all was as before. But no — 
Joe’s fingers dug into Al’s arm, as with his 
free hand he again pointed to the banked 
dials. 

They were functioning once again! But 
how! It seemed as though all these staid 
mathematical instruments had gone suddenly 
crazy. 

The pointer of the velocimeter was swing- 

i n g wildly 
against the 
brass pin at 
the zero line 
in an endeavor 
to push past 
it. As though 
it were trying 
t o register 
negative velo- 
city ! The de- 
viatoscope was 
wobbling i n 
all directions 
at once. The 
gravito - stato- 
scope was reg- 
istering nega-*’^ 
tive quanti- 
ties, i ndicat- 

“My God, have the instruments been put 
out of commission, or have we gotten into a 
topsy turvy world?” cried Al, rushing to the 
telescope, while Joe jumped for the port- 
hole. Simultaneous exclamations burst 
from both. 

No longer was there the black of unlit 
space; but neither were there the shining 
points of light, the old familiar constella- 
tions spangling the velvet back drop of 
space. Instead they were swimming in an 
intense blue light deeper by far than the 
fairest earth sky. Against the blue were 
silhouetted black disks and lesser points— 
myriads of them. 




NATHAN SCHACHNER 



ing tremendous repulsion. 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1213 



The earth-men stared at each other blank- 
ly. Joe spoke first. “Where are we? 
What has happened to us?” 

A1 was frankly stumped. “I don’t know. 
This is not our world, our universe. I may 
be crazy but maybe we’ve been pushed into 
a different universe. That might account 
for the strange gyrations of our instru- 
ments.” He warmed to the idea. “After 
all, there’s something in that. According to 
Einstein our space, our universe, is curved 
around into an enormous sphere. True, he 
assumes that there is absolutely nothing in- 
side or outside that sphere, not even empti- 
ness. 

“But suppose he were wrong. Suppose 
that there are other universes, all spheres of 
space, floating in a great super-space. Sup- 
pose that one of these sphere universes in 
some manner impinged on our space, tan- 
gentially. Through a freak of fortune we 
happened to hit that one spot. Since the 
two spaces touch, we went hurtling from our 
own familiar universe into this strange one, 
the existence of which has never even been 
dreamt of by our scientists.” 

“Impossible,” gasped Joe. “I can’t be- 
lieve it.” He shook his head as though his 
disbelief gave him no comfort. 

Once more they gazed out at the unknown. 
In the blue radiance, the black disks had 
grown perceptibly smaller. 

“Hello,” cried Al, “we’re being pushed 
away from those dark worlds, if worlds they 
really are.” 

“That’s fine; maybe we’ll be thrown clear 
back into our world again.” Joe’s face 
showed that slowly he was yielding to the 
belief that this impossible thing must have 
happened. 

“What,” Al yelled in his indignation. 
“Do you mean to stand there and tell me 
that you are willing to leave all this — ^the 
greatest, the most sensational adventure that 
happened to mortal men, without even a 
look around?” 

“All right, keep your shirt on,” retorted 
the castigated one. “If you want to inves- 
tigate this nightmare I’m with you. Only 
please remember, that as it is, we have only 
an infinitely small chance of locating that 



one small point of contact again. And if 
we move about her^ we’ll lose that one 
chance.” 

But the fire of the pioneering scientist 
blazed too brightly in Al. “I don’t care 
what happens. We stay. Think of it, man, 
a new, a different universe!” 

“You’re the doctor. I hope though, we 
find a world we can live on. And some 
interesting people. For make up your mind 
we’ll never see old Terra Firma again.” 

Al ignored him. “Hm, there doesn’t 
seem to be any gravity here. We’re being 
repelled instead of attracted. Tell you 
what you do, Joe. Use some of our rear 
rockets. That’ll force us ahead.” 

Accordingly, two rockets were fired. In- 
tently Al watched the instrument board. 
Sure enough, the velocimeter registered a 
forward velocity, the deviatoscope acted 
normally again; only the gravito-statoscope 
continued to evidence repelling influences. 

A Topsy-Turrj' World 

A S they drove ahead, both men watched 
the new heavens anxiously. One of the 
black disks was gradually disengaging it- 
self from its fellows, and growing slowly, 
perceptibly larger. About the size of the 
moon now. 

Al looked once more at his instruments. 
Their velocity was decreasing. “Shoot off 
another rocket, Joe,” he ordered. Once 
more they forged ahead. 

“Queer sort of matter in this world,” he 
continued, ruminatively. “Repels us in- 
stead of attracting. Everything seems just 
the reverse of what we know. The space 
glows and the stars are dark. And I see 
no evidence of suns or anything to account 
for the queer blue light.” 

Meanwhile the dark world they were aim- 
ing for, was growing steadily larger. Then 
a queer thing happened. The nearer they 
approached, the higher it rose abqve them, 
until it was directly overhead, a vast ball 
filling half the firmament. 

Joe was surprised, and told his friend so. 
“Not at all,” Al responded. “Up and 
down are purely relative terms that have no 
meaning in space. It is only when you come 



1214 



WONDER STORIES 



within range of matter, that these words 
have any significance. 

“In our universe, a material body, res- 
ponding to gravitational influences, attracts 
your body to it. In other words, you fall 
toward it, — which means that the attracting 
body is beneath. 

“Here in this universe, on the contrary, 
matter possesses only the property of re- 
pulsion. You are driven away from the 
world; in other words, you are falling from 
it, — which means that this world is overhead 
as far as we are concerned. To reach it, we 
shall have to climb straight up.” 

“Then how in blazes are we going to land 
on it to see what it’s all about. We’ll be like 
flies on a ceiling.” 

“You’re right,” A1 confessed. “I didn’t 
think of that. However, we’ll get as close 
as we can, and see what we can discover.” 

With the aid of rockets, they drove on 
and up, until they touched the huge ceiling. 

The two gazed out upon an illimitable 
expanse of black lava-like rock, craggy and 
bare. No life, no movement was visible in 
the spectral blue glare that beat upon the 
immense rocky plain. Indeed, no life as 
wfc know it could be possible, for aside from 
the difficulty of clinging to a ceiling of 
rock, Joe’s tests quickly showed the absence 
of any atmosphere. 

“I can’t see the sense of wasting any more 
time hanging here,” he said finally. “Let’s 
try and find a more inviting world.” 

“Hold on a moment, what’s that?” A1 
was pointing excitedly through the port- 
hole. 

Not half a mile off, a broad orange beam 
of light had suddenly shot out from the 
black surface. Even as they gazed, a long 
cylindrical object appeared at the base of 
the beam, steadied itself a moment, then shot 
out downward into space. Its flight was so 
swift that it vanished instantaneously. The 
orange light contracted until it too disap- 
peared. 

“That’s either an upside down volcanic 
eruption, or else — ,” Joe paused uncertainly. 

“Or else — that’s just what we’re going to 
investigate.” A1 sprang to the controls. 
Rapidly he propelled the space-ship to the 
point where the orange ray had appeared. 



and hovered directly underneath it. 

They gazed up at a huge inverted funnel, 
tapering on top to a flat narrow area. 

“Turn on the searchlight, Joe. Let’s see 
what’s up there.” 

Obediently, Joe swung the parabolic re- 
flector into focus, and turned on the current. 
An invisible ray stabbed through the blue 
space, impinged inside the funnel, and lit it 
up with a blinding light. 

A1 whistled. “Look how smooth the walls 
are, how regular the curve. That’s an arti- 
ficial orifice, Joe. And something just came 
out of it. I’m going in there to investi- 
gate.” 

“Hold on there.Don’t let your enthus- 
iasm run away with you,” Joe cautioned. 
“In the first place, I’ve seen volcanic cones 
as smooth and r^ular as this one. And if 
it is — you remember that orange flare — 
another eruption while you’re squinting at 
it will mean the end of this little expedition. 
Besides, this boat’s too big to fit in there. 
And if we get out, what’ll hold us and the 
ship from all flopping down-«-God knows 
where — in this crazy space.” 

“I’m not worrying much about the vol- 
cano idea,” retorted Al. “As for our fall- 
ing, just run us as far up into the opening 
as you can, and I’ll attend to the rest. Care- 
ful that the air lock is on top, though.” 

Joe shook his head doubtfully, grumbled 
a bit, but followed instructions. Once 
snugly in position, the beams of the search- 
light illuminated the interior. There was 
no question about it now — the funnel was 
patently artificial. The walls were of 
black polished stone; at the tip overhead 
was a flat slab of the same material. A 
circular incision, about four feet in diameter, 
was evident in the slab. 

CHAPTER II 

The Green Terrors. 

A l was hastily donning his space suit, 
electrically heated and containing oxy- 
gen-respiratory apparatus. 

“For God’s sake, Al, what do you intend 
doing?” Joe cried out in alarm. 

“Do? Tie this ship to the sides of the 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1215 



funnel so she stays put. Remember we 
have four steel rings welded on the outside 
of our ship.” 

By this time he had donned the suit; only 
the helmet was not yet clamped into position. 
He took out of the tool chest two huge 
steel spikes, two lengths of massive chain 
ending in huge hooks, an electric drill, 
and picked up a disrupter tube. 

“Now I’m ready; you hold the boat steady 
while I work. When the ship’s securely 
fastened. I’ll wave in at the porthole. Then 
you get into your space suit, and climb out. 
Bring a crowbar along, and your disrupter 
tube.” 

He climbed up into .the air lock, shut the 
panel behind him, slid open the outer panel, 
and climbed on top of the space flier. 

He chose a spot in the polished rock close 
to one of the ship’s steel rings. With the 
electric drill it was a matter of minutes to 
fashion a deep hole. A1 then inserted a 
spike at an angle, slipped a length of chain 
over it. The chain was secure. Next he 
slipped the great hook at the other end, into 
the steel ring. Repeating the operation on 
the other side, the space-ship was hanging, 
securely fastened. 

Then he waved in signal. Shortly Joe 
was clambering out also enclosed in a space- 
suit. He carried a long crowbar with him. 
Fortunately the top slab was only a few 
feet above their heads. With right good 
will, they shoved against the inside stone. 
It moved slightly. Greater grew their exer- 
tions. Finally it lifted, as though on a 
hinge. Eagerly they pushed harder, until it 
fell over inside, revealing a circular hole, 
through which an orange light streamed. 

A1 spoke through the wireless phone in- 
cluded in the helmet equipment. “Just give 
me a leg up, Joe, like a good fellow.” 

Joe bent, clasped his hands in front. A1 
put one foot onto the clasped hands and 
Joe heaved until he was able to clamber 
through the opening. Immediately he ex- 
tended an arm down, and with great exer- 
tion, pulled Joe up alongside of him. 

They found themselves at the bottom of 
a slanting well. Far in the distance was a 
circular opening through which an orange 
light filtered. 



Slowly, laboriously they negotiated the 
steep climb. At last they emerged panting, 
into the orange glare. 

What they saw was so inconceivably 
strange, so opposed to all their preconceived 
notions that they stood still, gasping with 
astonishment. 

They were standing on a vast plain, com- 
posed of the same rocky material as the 
outside; bleak, barren, thrown into giant 
crags and mountains. There was no hori- 
zon; the plain curved upwards until it was 
lost in the distant haze. The whole atmos- 
phere was bathed in an orange glow, eman- 
ating from a huge globe of fire overhead, 
the sun of this interior world. 

No sign of life revealed itself in the hid- 
eous barrenness of the huge concavity. 

“Good Lord, what is this anyway!” Joe 
spoke through his phone. “We have to 
climb up to land on this place, then bust 
our way through; and then we find our- 
selves standing inside a hollow shell, with 
a sun and everything. It’s certainly confus- 
ing. And why, if this matter has no gravi- 
tation, as you say, but exercises a repulsive 
force, why isn’t it down on this side too, so 
that we would fall kerplunk into this space 
also?” 

“Because,” A1 spoke up, “that sun over- 
head must be the source of the repulsion. 
I get it all now. The waves of repulsion 
emanating from the sun keeps this shell pro- 
perly spaced around it, and causes every- 
thing to be pushed against it, including us. 
That would give exactly the same effect, as 
far as we are concerned, as though we were 
held here by force of normal gravity. Furth- 
ermore, the repelling waves must penetrate 
this shell of meiterial, and flow out into the 
blue space of this universe. That was why 
our ship was being forced away.” 

“How about removing our space suits? 
I always feel uncomfortable in them,” A1 
continued. 

“Just a moment while I test this atmos- 
phere to see if it’s livable.” 

Joe extracted from a pocket of his suit a 
clever little device. The turn of a valve, 
the pressure of a button, and an electric coil 
heated a sample of the atmosphere, A glance 



1216 



WONDER STORIES 



through the tiny spectroscope attachment, 
and its constitution was revealed. 

“Oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide — the 
same gases that make up our air. ' And just 
about in the same proportions. Alright, 
Al, we can breathe this atmosphere. Off 
go the suits!” 

S WIFTLY the two tore off their helmets, 
opened the zippers of the overalls.' 
Quickly the protective garments were folded 
into compact bundles, stowed in the shoulder 
knapsacks prepared for their reception. 
The two drew in long breaths of air. It 
seemed good to breathe freely again, reck- 
less of consequences, free from the everlast- 
ing necessity of watching dials, and switches, 
and levers. 

“That’s good! Glad to get rid of that 
synthetic mixture we’ve been living on ever 
since we left Mother Earth, Wonder if 
there’s any life here.” 

“Let’s scout around a bit, though from 
the looks of things, it doesn’t seem likely. 
Yet how about that hinged slab, and the 
cylinder we saw shoot out of it?” 

Meanwhile they explored the chaotic ter- 
rain, Suddenly, Joe halted. “What’s that, 
behind that rock?” 

Around a boulder, not far ahead, appear- 
ed a jelly-like creeper. As the startled 
earth-men watched, the creeper swelled, ex- 
panded, and lo, there before them was a 
nightmare creature. Up it towered, a quiv- 
ering green jelly, formless, yet multiform, — 
its malevolent aspect sent a thrill of horror 
through the adventurers. 

“There’s your specimen of life, Al. Hope 
you like it!” 

Cautiously they approached the creature, 
disruptor tubes handy. Motionless, it ap- 
peared to be, unaware of their presence. 
They were about ten feet away, when sud- 
denly, a tentacle spurted out from the form- 
less mass, straight for Joe. So lightning 
swift was the attack that he barely had time 
to spring beyond its reach. 

A cry from Al. Another and yet another 
of the horrible jelly masses had appeared 
from behind the strewn rocks. They were 
rolling rapidly nearer. 

“I don’t like this so much — let’s get back 



to the ship while we can,” Joe exclaimed. 

“I’m afraid it’s too late — we’ll have to 
fight our way,” Al replied grimly. “Look 
over there.” 

The entire plain was alive with the heav- 
ing forms of the protoplasmic denizens of 
this queer world. Especially were they 
numerous around the tunnel exit. The 
Earth-men were ringed about now with the 
quivering menaces — ^their ever-forming ten- 
tacles flicking out toward them with incon- 
ceivable rapidity. 

Disruptor tubes in hand, the beleagured 
explorers advanced toward the passage, their 
only chance being to blast a path to safety. 
The jellied bodies drew together solidly 
blocking the way. Simultaneously Joe and 
Al pressed the triggers of their weapons. 
The long pale beams sprang out, impinged 
upon the heaving forms. 

A cry of despair burst involuntarily from 
both men. The disruptor rays had abso- 
lutely no effect upon these creatures. Mat- 
ter was differently constituted here — earth 
forces were unable to break up these atoms. 

All was lost! The end of the great ad- 
venture was near. In great waves the green 
terrors advanced. Desperately the men 
searched about for some opening, some gap 
through which to seek escape. There was 
none. Enringed, they stood at bay, defense- 
less, now that the disruptor tubes, potent 
weapons of destruction on earth, were use- 
less. 

As disaster bore down upon them, Al’a 
thoughts flashed back to the commencement 
of their flight; the vast crowds gathered to 
see them off — aspirants for the great million 
dollar prize to the space navigators who first 
explored the pale planet, Pluto, enigma of 
the solar system. 

Almost was the prize within their grasp. 
Another few hundred million miles and they 
would have reached Pluto. But now they 
were thrown into this. Now they were 
doomed, never to return, or bear witness to 
the wonders they had seen. 

A clammy yielding tentacle encircled his 
body, dragging him down. Joe, too, was 
struggling in the grip of an amorphous mon- 
ster. Desperately they fought, but to no 
avail. Even as they broke through one 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1217 



grip, another viscid tentacle would flow over 
them. Already they were being engulfed 
into the bodies of these creatures. What a 
horrible end — ^to be ingested alive — to be 
dissolved in the digestive fluids of this hor- 
ribly strange green beings. 

Even as the two had given up all hope, 
were weltering at the bottom of a mass of 
viscid, clammy matter, there was a sudden 
change. A shudder ran through the mon- 
strous jelly engulfing them, the horrible 
stuff flowed away. They were left lying 
there, stunned, suffocated, senses reeling in- 
to oblivion, but still alive! 

Strange Beings 

S LOWLY life flowed back into the ad- 
venturers. What had brought about 
this sudden change? What had saved them 
from certain extinction? They raised their 
heads, then dropped them with simultaneous 
groans. What nightmare was this they 
were living through? Impossible, the 
things they had seen! Again they looked 
about them. True enough, two shapes were 
standing there. But what shapes! 

Two orange, dome-shaped creatures, 
somewhat like diving bells. The front of 
each bell was flattened, and in the center 
was a huge oval opening, covered by a 
translucent mica-like substance. Directly 
over and on each side of the opening pro- 
truded two antennae, at the end of which 
were round faceted knobs. 

Beneath the orifice were two long wav- 
ing tentacles, ending in two opposing spatu- 
lates. The whole dome or bell rested on 
innumerable little jointed legs, the crea- 
tures were able to travel with a fair de- 
gree of rapidity. Altogether they were not 
over three feet in height. 

Joe and A1 sprang to their feet. In the 
distance they could see a swelling mass of 
the green jelly-creatures that had so nearly 
done for them. Driving them on with green 
flashes from tubular weapons held in their 
tentacles, moved a horde of queer beings 
similar to the two immediately in front of 
them. 

“Holy mackerel!” Joe exploded, “these 
things have saved our lives, alright, but what 



the devil are they? Bird, beast, or devil? 
Do you see the same thing as I, Al, or have 
I gone daffy?” 

But Al was not listening. He had been 
watching the forms intently. “Look,” he 
cried, gripping Joe’s arm. “Look at that, 
will you!” 

On the translucent mica-like coverings 
over the orifices, appeared reddish charac- 
ters. There were four of them, delicate, in- 
tricate tracings, lit up by some interior 
fire. They resembled somewhat the old 
cuneiform writing of the Babylonians, or 
the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Even as the 
earth-men watched with bated breath, the 
glyphs vanished, and others, different in 
form, took their place. 

Al was greatly excited. “I believe they’re 
trying to communicate with us. That mem- 
brane is a screen on which they can flash 
symbols that represent their language, just 
as we do in printing.” 

“Then how in blazes are we going to talk 
to them. Wonder if they can hear.” Joe 
cupped his hands and shouted a great “Hel- 
lo!” 

There was not the slightest movement to 
show that they had heard, but at the gesture, 
strange fiery characters danced and changed 
with great rapidity on the screens. 

Joe was disgusted. “What are we to do 
now? Draw pictures for them?” 

“That isn’t such a bad- idea,” declared 
Al. “But first we’ll try pantomime.” 

Accordingly he pointed to the open door- 
way up through which they had come, and 
then with a sweep of his arm denoted their 
travels through far space. 

For the first time, the creatures showed 
excitement. They shuffled their innumer- 
able feet and waved their long tentacle' 
arms. One of them propelled itself like a 
huge centipede to the jade slab and quickly 
shut it. On the screen of the other there 
flashed a scene — the deep blue of space in 
which whirled innumerable worlds. 

Now it was Al who danced excitedly. 
“There you are, Joe,” he cried, “they’re 
making pictures for us, moving pictures; 
just what you spoke of so contemptuously. 
See, they’ve understood me.” He nodded 
his head vigorously in confirmation. 



1218 



WONDER STORIES 



Evidently this gesture was also compre- 
hended, for the picture changed to one in 
which the Earth-men beheld themselves es- 
corted along an alabaster road. 

“They want us to go with them, Al; think 
it safe?” 

“Safe?” echoed Al scornfully, “why, they 
couldn’t hold me back. Miss up examining 
this civilization! I should say not!” 

“All right, all right,” Joe retorted good 
naturedly. “Keep your shirt on; I’m going; 
just thought I’d ask.” 

Al in pantomime declared his willingness 
to go with them. Immediately one trotted 
ahead, while the other moved along with 
the two adventurers. 

F or a long time they moved across the 
black and dismal plain, swept clear now 
of the grim green menaces that so nearly 
had been their doom. Then they came to a 
precipitous ascent, up which a roughly 
hewed road spiralled. Breathless, the 
Earth-men reached the top. Then they 
stopped, thunderstruck. 

They were gazing down upon a rolling 
landscape that gently undulated and curved 
upwards until lost in the haze. A warm, 
golden orange glow enveloped the scene in 
a glamorous bath. Overhead shone the 
source of the illumination — a mild, kindly 
orange sun, whose rays were not too dazz- 
ling. 

Below them stretched a. view that made 
them catch their breaths. 

A long, curving snow-white road led down 
into a deep valley. Filling the hollow was 
a vast city, a golden gleaming city of round- 
ed shapes. Immense structures ; domes, div- 
ing bells, magnified duplicates of th«r in- 
habitants. 

Joe was the first to break the silence. 
“This is something like. These people must 
have considerable brains and skill to build 
that wonderful city.” 

Al said nothing, but broke into a rapid 
walk, so fast this his guides could barely 
keep up with him. • 'As for Joe, “Good Lord 
man, hold on a bit. I’m not in training 
for cross-country, you know.” 

Unwillingly Al slowed his pace. The 
true explorer’s fervor blazed in him. As 



they descended into the valley, they began 
U< meet more and more of the strange deni- 
zens. Without exception, ecich one that they 
met stopped short in his tracks, bright red 
symbols chasing each other intricately over 
his translucent screen, to be met with ans- 
wering hieroglyphics from their guides. 

“Sort of giving them the low down on us^” 
Joe explained it. Invariably the curious 
one fell in behind until by the time they 
entered the city, they were accompanied 
by a veritable guard of honor. 

On a broad white highway between the 
golden domes, mosaics of intricate designs 
in which gold predominated, went the pro- 
cession. A weird soundless procession, ex- 
cept for the slight rustle of innumerable lit- 
tle feet. 

It struck Joe for the first time. “Say, Al, 
have you noticed that there is no noise *in 
this world. None of the usual sounds we’re 
accustomed to. Positively uncanny, I 
think.” 

“It struck me too. These people cannot 
speak, and evidently cannot hear either. 
Because of the silence in nature. Were 
there natural sounds or poises, evolution 
would have equipped them also with the 
necessary apparatus.” 

Just then their guides swung onto a long 
ramp that led into a dome more magnificent 
than the rest. Guards at the entrance, 
armed with gleaming tridents, permitted 
them to enter, and promptly barred the way 
to the unofficial escort. 

The vast interior was crowded with Pros- 
taks (the name of these bell-shaped people). 
On a raised platform at the farther end 
stood one taller than the rest. In one ten- 
tacle he carried a great trident whose prongs 
darted golden flames. Near him stood con- 
temptuously, — if such earth terms could be 
applied to so strange a being — an elongated 
cylinder, entirely enclosed in a deep blue 
shimmering aura. Lifeless though it seem- 
ed, purely geometric its form — yet the ex- 
plorers sensed irmnediately the presence of 
a living force — a malignant, evil influence 
that caused their flesh to prickle with name- 
less shudders. 

“Good God, that damned cylinder is the 
center of something horrible, Joe,” Al exr 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1219 



claimed involuntarily. “I feel it in my 
bones. These other people — I know they 
are kindly, gentle folk. I can sense it, even 
though they are so different from us. But 
that over .there, it gives me the creeps.” 

Joe nodded soberly. “I had the same feel- 
ing as soon as I saw it. I’m afraid we’re 
going to have trouble with that beastly fig- 
ure before we’re through. And these inhab- 
itants, I think they already have felt the 
force of its deviltry.” 

CHAPTER III 
A Silent jDrama 

E ven as he spoke, the blue aura enfold- 
ing the cylinder began to flicker. 
Streamers shot out from it; long ones, then 
short, then long; evidently a sort of Morse 
code. 

The imposing Prostak on the platform, 
whom the earth-men already recognized as 
the ruler or King over these people, faced 
the other being with what seemed the great- 
est attention. 

When the flickering streamers ceased, the 
Ruler bowed submissively. Instantly all the 
Prostaks in the hall tossed their tentacles 
about wildly, shuffled their little feet, while 
on the screens dashed a perfect frenzy of 
symbols. The uncanny silence was unbrok- 
en, but Joe and A1 looked at each other. 
Both had felt it. Immense waves of lamen- 
tation exuded into the vitalized atmosphere 
— these people were suffering intensely. 
Within the Earth-men’s breasts, hearts ham- 
mered suffocatingly under the surge of an 
immense pity. 

“Al!” Joe whispered hoarsely, his eyes 
suspiciously wet. 

“What is it?” responded Al in a queer 
choked voice. 

“There’s something damnable going on 
here!” 

Al nodded fiercely. “I know it — I feel 
it.” 

Joe continued hurriedly. “That alien cy- 
linder has just made some filthy demand on 
that big fellow — the Ruler here — and he was 
forced to give in. And all these poor peo- 
ple are crying inwardly — they haven’t even 



the consolation of honest-to-goodness tears 
and wailing that we have. Some frightful 
doom is hanging over them.” 

“Wish we could do something to help.” 
“Hold your horses, Al. Mustn’t go off 
half cocked. Wait until we learn a bit more 
about things here before we butt in.” 

Their attention was once more attracted to 
the ivory platform. The Ruler was motion- 
ing with his huge trident to a group of 
guards armed with smaller tridents. 

Instantly the guards set in motion. Down 
through the crowded hall they moved, the 
Prostaks shrinking and shuffling away from 
them with every evidence of terrible fright. 
Suddenly the guards swooped, and six fran- 
tically struggling figures were borne bodily 
to tbe platform. The Ruler emanated inut- 
terable sadness, and a host of pallid red 
glyphs flashed in rapid succession on the 
thought screen. Afterwards, the Earth-men 
found they could detect the mental mood of 
the Prostaks from the depth of color of these 
Symbols. When the Prostak was cheerful 
and gay, the characters danced a brilliant 
red; when sad or uneasy, the red was dulled 
and pallid. 

The guards carried their writhing victims 
down the length of the hall and out into the 
open. The vast concourse of people bowed 
down almost to the ground, their long spatu- 
lated tentacles waving wildly, heart-breeik- 
ingly. 

The cylinder stood erect, as though con- 
templating the despairing people. Was that 
a mocking leer that subtly emanated from 
it? Joe could have sworn it was. Instinc- 
tively his hand reached for the revolver in 
his pocket. He had a wild desire to shoot 
down that alien tyrant. 

Al saw his movement, and gripped his 
arm just in time. “For God’s sake, Joe, stop 
it. Are you mad? You don’t know what 
it’s all about. And besides, you’re liable to 
expose us to some terrible danger by your 
foolhardiness. Wait -until we learn more 
about what’s happening.” 

Grumbling, Joe allowed himself to be 
persuaded. He returned the weapon to its 
place. “I know damn well what it’s all 
about. That -grinning, leering cylinder — 
I’d like to shoot it full of holes and see 



1220 



WONDER STORIES 



what it’s made of. But I suppose you’re 
righl-^we’d better wait and get acquainted 
first.” Notwithstanding his acq\jiescence, he 
sighed regretfully. 

The blue cylinder began to flick out a 
message. Once more the King bowed in 
token of submission. Then the blue flames 
increased in volume, until the baleful cylin- 
der was only faintly visible. Suddenly it 
shot up into the air, circled about the hall 
three times, (a derisive gesture, Joe thought) 
then darted straight for the roof of the 
dome. Without hesitation it plunged 
through the solid stone as though it were 
non-existent and disappeared. A nameless 
oppression, a foreboding of ultimate doom, 
lifted from the travelers’ hearts with its 
passing. 

W RAPPED as they were in the mighty 
drama just terminated, no one had 
noticed the intrusion of these two visitors 
from another universe. But now the Pros- 
taks discovered their presence, and once 
more excitement resumed its sway. The hall 
was filled with inquisitive waving tentacle, 
and their pictured remarks glow€d with a 
livelier red. 

The Ruler raised his body at the turmoil, 
and saw the cause of it. You could almost 
see his start of surprise. He held his golden 
trident aloft. The two guides, heretofore 
discreetly in the background, now pushed 
forward. The Earth-men followed. 

A rapid exchange passed between the 
guides and their King. Then he turned to 
his visitors, and, raising his trident aloft, 
waved it three times. Al, who was already 
almost en rapport with this strange race, 
said to Joe. “He’s evidently welcoming 
us.” 

Then picture began to flash on the oval 
screen. Intently they watched. They saw 
themselves being led through long corridors 
to a great hall, filled with bizarre machines, 
busily attended by Prostaks. “Looks like a 
scientific laboratory to me, Joe; he wants 
us to communicate with their scientists.” 
Then they watched themselves going to other 
chambers, where food was served, and ulti- 
mately to a place where they stood motion- 



less in fixed attitudes, when the pictures 
went blank. 

“That must be their sleeping quarters. 
They must sleep standing up. In fact, I 
can’t see how they could lie down if they 
wanted to,” interjected Joe, proud of his 
acumen. 

Al attempted in pantomime to show he 
understood. The King waved his trident 
once more, and two guards appeared. Rang- 
ing on either side of the explorers, they led 
them down a long corridor into a chamber 
full of queer apparatus, exactly as had been 
pictured to them. The scientist Prostaks came 
forward to greet them. 

It would serve no good purpose to enter 
into a lengthy discussion of the ' methods 
employed to establish understandable com- 
munication between the representatives of 
these so alien races; the slow and tortuous 
stumbling before a fair degree of success 
was- attained.* 

Suffice it to say that the earth-men dis- 
covered that the symbols employed by the 
Prostaks were conventionalized ideographs', 
having originally been exact representa- 
tions of objects and actions. They never 
were able to find out just by what living 
internal mechanism these beings were able 
to flash their pictures, or glyphs on the sensi- 
tive screen. As for the Earth-men’s com- 
munication with them, Al, who was a clever 
sketcher, and fortunately had a note book 
and pencil along with him, employed his 
talent with great success. That and panto- 
mime did the trick until the men learned the 
Prostak language and the meaning of the 
symbols. Then matters progressed smooth- 
ly, for they could sketch the characters to 
express their thoughts. 

Almost the first question they asked, when 
understanding was established, was an ex- 
planation of that terrible drama in the Hall 
of the Ruler. 

The chief scientist told them the story. 

« « « » 

In the center of the universe, he said, 
there existed a mighty Ruler, a being who, 

*Aijy one interested may find a full and complete 
account of the langua^, customs, and scientific 
acdiievemeotis of :lie Prostaks in ihe monoglraph 
by Burns & Fries in the Inter^orld Qeogmphic, 
252, p. 1063. 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1221 



8tr«Hgely enough, resembled most closely 
the Earth-men. 

When he had come, no one knew. But 
many pilasters ago (a pilaster is ten months 
and twenty-one days), a vast transparent 
sphere had floated into their space. Inside 
the hollow shell, bathed in blue light, was 
observed the queer “human” creature. A 
maze of strange instruments surrounded him, 
whose use the Prostak scientists, watching 
■eagerly through the funnel orifices with pow- 
erful telescopes, were unable to fathom. 

i|ven as they gazed, the strange being 
manipulated various levers, and great 
streamers of cold blue light shot out into 
the black void of space, until the entire uni- 
verse was luminescent widi the glaring blue 
flames. 

To the qmazed view of the Prostaks, there 
were illumined innumerable dark worlds, 
similar to their own. Of the existence of 
these, they had been apprised for ages by 
means of mental communication with the 
inhabitants, but this was the first time the 
orbs had become visible. In the interiors 
were peoples and civilizations comparable to 
that of the Prostaks. By a system of thought 
transference the races ,of these hollow orbs 
could communicate with each other. 

The History of a Race 

B ut some few of the rolling balls in 
space were uninhabited. Possibly, they 
thought, these barren worlds were solid 
throughout, and therefore unable to support 
life. 

Attempts to establish communication with 
the strange new. creature in the hollow trans- 
parent shell were unsuccessful. At length 
they resigned themselves to watching for 
further developments. These were not long 
in coming. The great sphere moved method- 
ically from one to another of tjie dark solid 
worlds. In front of each it rested motion- 
less in space. The man creature busied 
himself with his instruments. Pale beams 
impinged steadily on the lifeless hulks, until 
to the watchers’ vast astonishment, a deeper 
blue haze, strangely resembling an atmos- 
phere, enveloped the dark spheres. Un- 
believably, it seemed to cling to the surface. 



instead- of bemg violently repelled into 
space.* 

The scientists puzzled over the meaning of 
these strange events without success. Soon, 
too soon, were they to realize the full horror 
of this irruption into their hitherto peaceful 
universe. 

One day they noticed that the strange, 
enclosed being was exceptionally active. 
Instrument after instrument whirled and 
gyrated. Suddenly, an elongated cylinder 
of blue flame leaped into life, passed 
through the transparency as though it did 
not exist, darted through space straight to- 
ward a sister world. With barely percepti- 
ble pause it shot through a tunnel opening,, 
and disappeared into the interior. 

Agog with excitement, the Prostaks at- 
tuned themselves to the thought waves of 
the orb, to learn the meaning of this strange 
invasion. They were not long left in the 
dark. 

The cylinder of blue flame was demanding 
that a certain number of the Arkabs (the 
name of that race) be placed in elongated 
cylinders of its Master’s contriving, whom 
it called “The Emperor of the ^ars”, and 
ejected into the void. They were to be 
drawn to the new worlds so strangely made 
livable by the Emperor, there to live and 
die as slaves, working his will, tilling the 
barren soil to grow the curious foods neces- 
sary for the well-being of the self-constitut- 
ed Emperor. As the population grew from 
the enslaved beings of this and other worlds, 
certain secret plans were to be made effec- 
tive. If they refused, the direst retribution 
was threatened. 

Scornfully, the rulers of their sister world 
had rejected the barbarous terms. The 
strange cylinder betook itself haughtily back 
to its Master. 

What followed was dreadful. First the 
heavens turned an intense blue. Then lum- 
inous blue streamers shot athwart the sky. 
Rapidly they approached the doomed world. 
They touched, enveloped it. Before the fas- 
cinated watchers’ eyes it seemed to crumble, 
to disintegrate. When the terrible blue rays 

*The ProBtake were not acquainted with tke phenomoak 
oi attraction. — Burns 4 Fries. 



1222 



WONDER STORIES 



withdrew, the great world was gone — whif- 
fed clean out of existence. 

Since that demonstration of power, no 
world dared refuse its tribute. Rapidly the 
desolate worlds were populated by slaves 
from many spheres. By some strange power 
they remained on the surface and did not 
tumble off into the void. Many pilasters 
passed. Wearily, hopelessly, the slaves 
could be seen toiling, digging, performing 
strange tasks, under the cruel supervision *f 
the Emperor’s minions, the cylinders of blue. 

Unknown growths appeared on the 
ground, were harvested, and carried in long 
cylinders to the glassy shell of the Emperor. 
.Strange, oblong structures reared their 
heads on the colonized worlds; vast new cit- 
ies of new shapes and forms. More and more 
slaves were demanded and procured from 
the subject races for the Emperor had found 
work for them digging minerals that he 
needed, refining them, etc. 

Heretofore, the Prostaks had been unmol- 
ested. They grew confident in their im- 
munity. They were exempt from the killing 
toll. Not for them the ghastly pall that 
overhung the denizens of other orbs. 

Then suddenly, like the crack of dl>om, 
appeared the frightful messenger of the 
Emperor. In the universal sign language, 
he had made his demand for slaves. Six 
Prostaks were to be supplied regularly each 
dinaster (corresponding roughly to nine 
days) . 

After prolonged consultation, one Pros- 
tak, greatly daring, had volunteered to 
speed through space, to intercede with the 
Emperor direct. He had departed, it was 
his cylinder Joe and A1 had seen leaving the 
surface of Prostakon. Almost immediately 
the messenger of the Emperor had reappear- 
ed in the council chamber. Gloatingly it 
had told of the enslavement of the hero am- 
bassador. Then it had repeated the inex- 
orable demand for tribute, reminded the 
horror-struck Prostaks of the fate of that 
other world that had dared to defy the 
Emperor. 

There was nothing to do but submit. The 
Earth-men had witnessed the frightful scene 
df their seizure, and the universal lamenta- 



tion of this gentle, kindly people. What 
they had not seen was the thrusting of the 
struggling victims into a cylinder awaiting 
them at the exit into outer space, and their 
ejection. Here the narrator paused; the 
hieroglyphics fading to the dullest red of 
despondency. 

In a dreshiar more (slightly less than two 
days) , another six . of the wretched inhabi- 
tants must be sent to join the tribute from, 
other worlds to glut the greed of the dread 
Emperor. Already the terrified Prostaks 
were fleeing the City, fearful that they might 
be seized in the next batch to go. 

No longer would there be peace and the 
ordered pursuit of knowledge, the scientist 
concluded sadly. Now and forever, the 
people would be under the dreadful doom, 
none knowing whose turn was next. There 
was no hope but ultimate extinction. 

The Earth-men had watched the pictured 
story with growing horror until the last 
symbol had faded away. Their hearts bled 
at the thought of this gentle race, so ad- 
vanced in culture auid achievements, fated 
to be the slaves to the ambitions of an alien 
Lord. 

Simultaneously they looked at each other. 
Each read the resolve in the other’s eyes. 

A1 wrote for the aged Prostak. “All may 
not be as hopeless as you think. Possibly 
we may be able to find some means to com- 
bat the fiend.” 

Startled, the scientist waved his antenna 
in a flickering hope, but then the dulled red 
characters appeared: “Nay, no one can hope 
to overcome him. He is mighty, the Em- 
peror of the Stars. We are only finite be- 
ings. He is omnipotent — no puny weapon 
of ours can harm him. Alas, I am afraid 
our bitter destiny must be fulfilled.” 

“In the world from which we come, noth- 
ing is recognized as impossible,” A1 replied. 
“Though we cannot promise, we say again, 
hope on. Perhaps we shall be able to re- 
quite your kindness by delivering your na- 
tion from this menace.” 

With that, they left the unconvinced scien- 
tist. 



/ 



THE EMPEROR 

CHAPTER IV 
“We Shall Go!” 

«TT T HAT have you in mind?” asked Joe 
W eagerly, as they returned to their 
quarters. “I’d give a great deal to release 
these people from their horrible fate. I’ve 
honestly come to like them quite a bit.” 
“You may think it’s damnably rash and 
dangerous,” A1 answered slowly, “what I’m 
going to propose. And it is, no question 
about it. But I feel the same way about the 
Prostaks as you do, and I for one am willing 
to take the chance. Here it is. f 

“You remember what the old Prostak told 
us about this Emperor. How strangely he 
resembles us in form. That he is an alien 
to this universe. And more particularly that 
he is able to endow matter with gravita- 
tional attraction, instead of the universal 
repulsion it has here. It occurs to me that 
possibly this potent Emperor is a beit^ from 
some planet in our own system, or even — it 
is not too fantastic — a man from our own 
Earth. He might have been a scientist of 
extraordinary attainments, who had in secret 
discovered and developed new natural forces 
as yet unknown to us. 

“An overweening ambition may have led 
him to the idea of conquering the planets of 
our Solar System with the forces under his 
control. Accordingly he built his vast hol- 
low shell, which from the description seems 
to be made of pure fused quartz. 

“Launching himself secretly into space, 
he intended to overpower and render subject 
each planet in turn. Some freak of destiny, 
just as in our case, led him to the exact 
tangential point with this universe, and pre- 
cipitated him through. 

“Adjusting himself quickly to the new 
conditions, he set about enslaving these kind- 
ly peaceful peoples. Now he is creating 
new worlds in the image of that one with 
which he was familiar. / 

“Can you conceive the upshot? A vast 
horde of trained, submissive subjects with 
which to win back to our universe? I dare 
net picture the fate of poor old Earth!” A1 
shuddered at the vivid image he himself 
had conjured up. 



OF THE STARS 1223 

Joe became excited. “That settles it. We 
must conquer this scientist Emperor, not 
only for the sake of the Prostaks, but for 
that of our own world. Hut how?” 

“I’ve thought of something. Just as our 
weapons proved ineffective against the alien 
matter and reversed natural laws of this 
universe, so the weapons of the denizens 
were unavailing against this marauder from 
our universe. On the other hand, our wea- 
pons may prove useful against this being 
who was originally subject to the laws of 
our space. Of course,” A1 continued, “this 
is all guesswork on my part. I may be ab- 
solutely wrong. But somehow I am con- 
vinced that we shall be able to defeat the 
Emperor of the Stars.” 

“But you still haven’t told me what meth- 
od of attack you expect to use,” objected 
Joe. 

“All,” was the prompt retort. . “If I knew 
exactly the nature of the Emperor, I could 
specify. But as I don’t, we’ll use every 
available method, and trust to luck that one 
is the right one. We have our ray projec- 
tors, our atomic disrupters, our rocket 
bursts. One of these may be successful. 
Who knows ?”,^ 

“I’m gsune to try it anyway,” Joe declar- 
ed. “The worst that can happen is that we 
don’t come back. And I for one am not too 
keen about spending the rest of my days 
here, no matter how decent the Prostaks are. 
After all they’re not our kind. And I also 
have a hunch — laugh if you will — that our 
only chance of ever returning is connected 
in some i^ay with this Emperor of theirs.” 
A1 nodded. “I’ve also had the same feel- 
ing. It’s agreed then. Everything on the 
ship’s just as we left it. I’m sure, so every- 
thing fe in readiness.” 

« » • • 

O NCE more the two earth-men stood in 
the great hall. Once more the Ruler 
stood sadly on the platform. Again the 
mocking, malevolent cylinder radiated blue 
emanations on the right side of the King. 
The fatal day had come Tor the second tri- 
bute. The great hall was nearly empty. 
Almost every one-had fled; Only the offi- 
cials, the scientists were present— those 
, whose pride or abounding courage did not 



1224 



WONDER STORIES 



permit them to seek safety in flight. Even 
though they stood their ground, who can 
say they were not desperately afraid ! , 

Once more the cylinder made its foul de- 
mand; again with bowed body, the troubled 
Ruler acquiesced. His trident was raised 
aloft in signal to the guards to perform their 
odious duty, the very bravest shrank away 
in dread anticipation, — when suddenly the 
evil ambassador stood erect, shot a blue ray 
in the direction of the earthonen, as though 
in triumphant inquiry, then flashed staccato 
streamers toward the Prostak ruler. 

• A1 had learned to read this code also. 
An exclamation of horror froze on his lips. 

“What is it?” Joe wanted to know. 

“He is demanding that we two be a part 
of the tribute,” A1 cried. 

“My God, we’re cooked, done for,” 
groaned Joe. 

Just then the Ruler raised his body proud- 
ly erect, and angry, vivid red hieroglyphics 
chased each other rapidly across his thought 
screen. 

A1 dug his fingers deep into Joe’s arm, 
joyfully, half unbelieving. 

“My God, Joe, the old boy is a wonder. 
Know what he’s saying to th^t damned cy- 
linder? He’s answering that we are his 
guests — ^the guests of the Prostaks. Never 
in all their history have they ever permitted 
harm to befall any strangers, any aliens 
who once had shared their hospitality. 
And he doesn’t intend starting now. He 
will not deliver us to destruction, and the 
cylinder and his Master can be danrned to 
it. (A1 was translating rather freely in his 
excitement.) Rather his whole world be 
consumed by the tyrant than accede to this 
infernal demand.” 

A wave of soundless applause broke from 
the assembled Prostaks, even though the de- 
fiant speech of their King spelled certain 
destruction to all of them. 

.Joe’s eyes positively blazed. “Al, it’s 
wonderful, inconceivable, the nobility of this 
race. Think of our people on earth, and 
what they would say and do in a similar 
situation. AU”, he gripped his friend 
tightly with sudden alarm, “you’re not go- 
ing to let them sacrifice themselves like that 
to save us, are you?” 



The reply was emphatic. “I should say 
not!” 

Meanwhile the blue cylinder was sputter- 
ing an angry messeige. Very well then, it 
threatened, it would report to its Master, 
and retribution would be swift and terrible. 

“Hold on a moment,” Al cried out, dart- 
ing forward, forgetting in his excitement 
that no one could hear him. Joe was close 
behind him. 

Recollecting himself, Al dashed to a niche 
in the wall where was kept for him the thin 
black square and red chalk-like substance he 
used* for conversation in public. 

Quickly he dragged them out, and set to 
work to convey his message. Forgetful of 
all else in the tense drama of the moment, 
the Prostaks eagerly crowded about the pair. 

“Noble Ruler of the Prostaks,” Al sketch- 
ed hastily, “we deeply appreciate your un- 
exampled sacrifice, but we cannot permit 
it. This fair world of yours shall not he 
destroyed because of us. No, we are ready 
to go as tribute to this insatiable Emperor 
— this Monster of your universe. We visit- 
ors from another space are not afraid of 
him.” 

All over the vast hall, on one and all, 
danced in vivid red the single legend, iter- 
ated and reiterated. “No! no! no!” 

“What a race!” murmured Joe, exultantly. 

Again Al fiercely sketched. “We thank“ 
you — it is worthy of you. But our minds 
are made up, we shall go. Tell that dam- 
nable cylinder we shall be ready.” 

Sadly the Ruler bowed to their wishes. 
In symbols barely visible, he informed the 
ambassador of their acquiescence. 

A Million to One Chance 

T here was no question of it now. The 
blue cylinder flared in leering triumph. 
Once more it sprang up through the ceiling 
to speed the news to its powerful Master. 

Left to themselves, the Prostaks tossed 
their tentacles in soundless uproar. They 
were expostulating angrily with their visit- 
ors for this violation of their ancient hospi- 
tality. With difficulty, Al managed to con- 
eentrate their attention to his writing. 

This once accomplished, however, they 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



= 1225 



followed him closely without interruption. 
He explained just what he and Joe had in 
mind; their plans for battle with the Dread 
Lord, and the possible freeing of the uni- 
verse for all time from its frightful doom, 
l^ey would go alone in their own space 
ship to meet him in his very lair, the center 
of his power. 

When he was done, a tremendous demon- 
stration took place. The Prostaks grabbed 
drowningly at the straw just offered. Who 
knew — perhaps these aliens from outside 
their space might prove the saviors of their 
world. 

Immediately, a vast procession formed to 
escort the daring Earth-men to the place 
where their ship was moored. As they 
moved along, more and more of the Pros- 
taks flocked out of their hiding places, ap- 
prised by swift broadcasting of the meaning 
of the march. 

“They’re treating us like conquering he- 
roes already,” Joe smiled wryly at Al, “but 
to tell you the truth I don’t feel like one 
at all. My knees are just a bit wobbly at 
the thought of what’s ahead of us.” 

“Buck up, old man,” Al encouraged him, 
“the worst that can happen is death. We 
must chance it. And I feel rather confi- 
dent we can turn the trick.” 

“I’m not backing out,” Joe replied ear- 
nestly, “I’m with you to the bitter end.” 

“I know you are, old fellow,” Al said 
affectionately. 

At last the procession reached the en- 
trance hall of their first acquaintance. In 
the presence of their awestruck friends, they 
donned the space suits, and descended the 
long ramp to the lower trap door. Opening 
it, they peered dowp into the funnel, and 
beheld their good old space flier still faith- 
fully swinging as they had left it. 

The Prostak scientists crowded at the trap 
door to gaze curiously at the strange contri- 
vance of their visitors. Then the last fare- 
wells were said between these members of 
alien races — the Earth-men were choked with 
emotion — and they screwed their helmets in 
place. 

The last they ever saw of this noble, gen- 
tle people as the trap closed were the waving 



tentacles and flaming characters equivalent 
to “God speed”. 

Into the air lock they passed; the mech-* 
anism functioned smoothly, and once more 
they found themselves in the familiar inter- 
ior of the ship; ready to start on the most 
tremendous, the strangest adventure ever 
undertaken by mortal men! 

T he grapples were cast off. Immediate- 
ly the space ship left the surface, rap- 
idly the velocimeter needle passed up the 
dial, indicating greater and greater speed. 
Through the vastj~eaches of unknown space 
the devoted craft sped, fast in the grip of a 
force whose nature was unfathomable. 

The adventurers were sober now. The 
lively curiosity, which had hitherto sus- 
tained them through the strange experiences 
which had thus far been their lot, was now 
overfaid by the knowledge that they were 
starting out to combat a vast and terrible 
unknown. In this weird universe, infinitely 
far from all that was familiar, they were 
challenging an obscene power, a power so 
great that it had subjugated an infinity of 
worlds, had dominated them and levied hor- 
rible tribute upon them. Was it conceiva- 
ble that these two puny men, in their mid- 
get ship, could successfully meet and cqn- 
quer so great a power? 

With a wry grin Al spoke. “Joe, I think 
we are the prize fools of two universes. 
Why should we risk ourselves in this at- 
tempt, for the sake of worlds which are not 
even of our own universe? My wild sur- 
mise as to the danger to our own space is 
far-fetched. Let’s think it over again, be- 
fore it’s too late. We can still turn aside — 
find another sphere where conditions are 
suitable for our .existence — and pass the rest 
of our days in comfort! What do you say?” 
The usually flippant Joe was very sub- 
dued now. Gravely he replied, “You know 
I dislike heroics, Al. Melodramatic speech- 
es aren’t in my line at all. But, isn't this a 
glorious way to die, if die we must? To 
set out, two little men in a little ship, to 
battle the master of a universe? Just think, - 
what is the alternative? To land in one 
of these strange globes, to rot away our 
lives in an alien atmosphere. 



12261 



WONDER STORIES 



“That may suit you, I don’t want to pass 
out that way. Rather fail, but fail ghH*- 
iously, in this great adventure, this wild, 
quixotic attempt to free a universe from 
slavery. Come, Al, pep up ! I know what’s 
on your mind. You feel that you got me 
into this, and it worries you. Forget it! 
When I joined up, I knew that the chances 
were a thousand to one against our ever 
getting back. They’re a million to one now, 
what of it? Funny thing, I’ve got a hunch 
that we’ll win through yet.” 

Fries stuck out his hand, grasped that of 
his friend in gratitude. “Thanks Joe, 1 feel 
better now. I did think that I had gotten 
you into something that I had no right to. 
Now that I know how you take it, I can 
carry on. We’ll win through yet, they can’t 
lick us. Let’s go!” 

Onward, ever onward, the space-ship 
rushed. The speed was terrific, 'black 
spheres rushed by with the speed of light. 
Ever brighter, ever more intense, grew the 
blue of the firmament. A dull sense of 
foreboding settled down on the two friends, 
an oppressive s«ise of awe. 

At last there came a time when the tre- 
mendous velocity of their progress began 
to slacken. By this time the glaring blue 
illumination had grown so intense that it was 
necessary to keep the portholes thickly cov- 
ered. Only a tiny slit had been left, through 
which, eyes protected by thick-covered gog- 
gles, the adventurers took fleeting glimpses 
of the space around them. For long, now, 
they had passed beyond the last vestige of 
the dark worlds of this universe. There 
was nothing without but that intense blue 
glare. 

Slower and slower, the ship seemed to 
hover in that interminable emptiness. A 
mere 500 miles per second was the speed 
indicated by the meter which Al had ad- 
justed to the new condition of this new 
space. A mere 500 miles per second, but 
ever onward toward the unknown menace. 

Bulking in the firmament ahead, now ap- 
peared the Thing they had sped to combat, 
the vast transparent shell of the Emperor of 
(he Stars. A huge hollow sphere it was, al- 
«sost a thousand feet across, of fused, clear 
quartz, the walls tremendously thick! 



CHAPTER V 

The Emperor of the Stars 

I N the center of the great hollow floated a 
disk that almost reached across the gl^e. 
On it appeared a hive of great machines and 
apparatus. Giant pistons slid back and 
forth, huge vacuum tubes glowed with elect- 
ronic discharges, motors and dynamos were 
surging with power. Bathing all, and puls- 
ing out into the unfathomable space, was the 
strange blue glare. 

No sign of sentient life! Only the mach- 
ines that spun and flared interminably. 

An exclamation from Al as he peered 
through the telescope brought Joe to the oth- 
er eyepiece of the binocular. There, on the 
platform, out of a cabin-like affair, walked — 
a man! An Earth-man, too, no doubt about 
about it. A weazened, shrivelled creature, 
with straggly white hair, and deep furrowed 
cheeks. But the eyes — they were burning 
coals, aflame with relentless cruelty. Once 
they lifted up in the direction of the onrush- 
ing space ship and the hearts of the watch- 
ers skipped a beat. Evidently they were too 
far away to be visible, for the evil eyes 
turned indifferwitly away, and the Emperor 
busied himself about his apparatus. 

Joe turned an awed look on Al. “Gosh, 
but you hit the nail on the head, all rigbfc 
If I weren’t with you all the time. I’d think 
you had sneaked a look at this bird before 
you concocted your deductions.” 

“Just a lucky gue^,” Al decried modestly. 
“But let me tell you something. Just be- 
cause this bird is a human being just like 
ourselves, doesn’t mean that we’re not in 
for the fight of our lives. He looks puny 
enough, but he’s possessed of undreamt-of 
powers. I’m very much afraid our weapons 
will prove no match for those which he 
commands.” 

“Well, a man can die but once,” Joe res- 
ponded philosophically. 

Slower and slower drifted the space ship. 
And now, here and there in the weird blue 
light, dark specks appeared, floating silent- 
ly in that immensity. At first they thought 
them worlds — tiny . . . far off ... But 
when the telescope was focussed on the black 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1227 



objects, they proved to be elongated cy- 
linders, the cylinders in which the tribute 
slaves were being carried to the Emperor’s 
domain. Nearer and nearer they plunged, 
irresistably drawn to the great quartz sphere. 

One came rushing by, then on beyond in 
headlong plunge. Straight into the efful- 
gent radiance it dived, then, suddenly, a sec- 
tion of the quartz shell swung open, the cy- 
linder sped in, the section slid simultan- 
eously back into position. 

With bated breath, the daring adventurers 
waited to see what would happen next. 

The cylinder floated directly to the plat- 
form, came to a quivering halt against a 
huge plate, evidently a powerful magnet. 
The did man swiftly pressed a button. The 
head of the cylinder opened on a hinge. A 
nozzle directly opposite, sprayed a liquid 
into the interior. 

“Chloroform, or something like it,” ha- 
zarded Joe. 

Then a mechanical arm reached in, pulled 
out, one by one, six denizens of some world 
of this universe, akin in general structure to 
the Prostaks. 

Gloatingly, the evil- scientist surveyed the 
limp, unconscious forms. Then with a 
strength amazing in one so frail looking, 
he lifted a body 4o What seemed to be an 
operating table. A huge hypodermic ap- 
peared in his hand, the keen point pierced 
the outer tissue of the helpless unfortunate, 
and the contents squirted home. 

Joe’s eyes were glued to the telescope in 
horror. “Know what the old beast is do- 
ing?” he shouted excitedly to Al. “Inject- 
ing some fiendish solution into their brains 
to make them submissive slaves to his evil 
will. Come on, I can’t stand watching it 
any longer. Let’s get him before he works 
on the others.” 

“Hold your horses,” Al raised his voice 
in warning. “We’re liable to hit sudden 
death if you keep going off half-cocked. Let’s 
see what happens further before we attack. 
Maybe we can get a line on his vulnerable 
points.” 

Again and again the ghastly operation 
was repeated. Then the yet unconscious 
creatures were replaced in the metallic cy- 
linder, lid clamped into place. The Em- 



peror pulled a switch, the cylinder moved 
swiftly off the platform, darted through an 
automatically opening section, and vanished 
into the blue empyrean. 

“Headed straight for one of the slave 
worlds,” commented Al grimly. “We’ll have 
to get busy now. Check up on the disruptor 
tube, Joe.” 

M ounted on the outer housing of the 
space ship, a great tube thrust its 
copper nose menacingly forth. Latest pro- 
duct of the scientific skill of the Earth, it 
had done yeoman service in dissipating the 
clouds of wandering meteors that had dis- 
puted the passage of the spheroid through 
space. Would it avail now, against this 
super-scientist. Emperor of the Stars? 

It was Joe who noticed it first. “My 
God, Al, we’re moving fast again, and tow- 
ards the sphere.” 

Al sprang to the instrument panel. Sure 
enough, they were caught in a vast attrac- 
tion force, were being drawn irresistibly to 
the enemy. “Quick Joe, let loose the for- 
ward rockets to hold us back,” while he 
sprang to the trigger of<he disruptor tube. 

In an instant the rockets let loose their 
fierce surge of power. The staunch ship 
trembled with the force of the reaction. The 
velocimeter needle hesitated, slid backward 
a trifle, then slowly, remorselessly, crept for- 
ward again into full speed ahead/ The 
mighty attraction was overpowering their 
puny efforts. 

Now, for the first time, as they rushed 
closer, the weazened Emperor looked up, saw 
the oncoming space ship. Al, taut at the 
telescope, saw the startled blaze of recogni- 
tion, to be succeeded by a maniacal glare of 
hatred. The bloodless lip? curled into a 
soundless screech, the man darted for a huge 
lever, reached it, threw it with all his might. 

A blinding blue flame scorched through 
the firmament, straight for them. Franti- 
cally, Al swerved the ship. A cataclysmic 
glare, the crash of a thousand thunderbolts, 
a ripping, tearing sound as the blue death 
seared the side of the space flier. Had it 
not been for the sudden swerve, the fight 
would have been over then and there. 
“Now,” Al shouted, and the great disrup- 



1228 



WONDER STORIES 



tor tube roared its electronic discharge. A 
section of the shell buckled and melted at 
the impact, but the quartz was too tremen- 
dously thick. It was not more than one 
quarter penetrated. 

Meanwhile the death rays were darting in 
continuous streams about their devoted ship. 
The rocket tubes, the electronic projector, 
roared deafeningly. The air within the flier 
was bursting with the terrific tumult. 

Another blinding flash, a shattering crash, 
another ray had found its mark, sheared off 
in its glancing flight a stout metal plate. 
How long could this one-sided combat con- 
tinue? It was only a question of time be- 
fore a death ray would hit its target square- 
ly, and then — ! 

Desperately Joe worked at the controls, 
twisted and turned the ship in irregular zig- 
zag dashes. A1 pumped the trigger of the 
disruptor tube in continuous bursts. All 
over the face of the great transparent sphere, 
the quartz shattered and pitted, but still 
there was no break. 

The eyes of the straggly haired Emperor 
envenomed triumphantly as he reached for 
another lever. Immediately the staunch ship 
twisted and groaned in torment. A giant 
force seized and crushed it, the metal plates 
were straining, buckling under the tremen- 
dous pressure. A few minutes, and the 
great steel rivets would be sheared from 
their holes. 

White lipped, A1 ceased his aim^s fir- 
ing. In all the hellish tumult, he forced his 
weary brain into activity. There was only 
one chance in a million. Emulate the wood- 
pecker, he thought grimly. 

C OOLLY, methodically, he put his plmi 
into action. While the blue flames 
leaped and crashed about them, while the 
ship shuddered in the grip of that hellish 
force, he carefully trained the disruptor 
gun on one spot on the. great quartz shell. 
Steadily he loosed the stream of electrons, 
steadily he swerved the gun with the gyra- 
tions of the ship to cover' the rapidly deep- 
ening pit as the deadly discharge pecked 
and pecked away. 

The Emperor looked up, saw the havoc. 
For the first time there was a gleam of fear 



in the hate-crazed eyes. The pressure in- 
creased, the blue death crashed and roared, 
but A1 was not to be diverted. All his be- 
ing was concentrated in breaking through 
that one point. 

The quartz was fusing, wearing thin. The 
Emperor saw the danger, sprang to a new 
machine. A1 rubbed his eyes in amazement, 
gave vent to a great shout of jubilation. 

“By Jingo, he’s licked. He’s turning tail 
and running for it!” 

“We’ve won, boy, we’ve won!” Joe beat 
his friend’s shoulder in an ecstasy of joy. 
“Not yet,” came the grim reply. 

“Why, what do you mean?” demanded 
Joe. “Aren’t we here, alive, unhurt. He’s 
had enough, hasn’t he?” 

“That’s true enough. Better than I anti- 
cipated. But you forget what we set out to 
do; rid this universe of his evil tyranny. 
He’s still alive, in full control of his forces. 
Unless you’ve had enough. I’m going after 
to finish him.” 

“By Jove, you’re right ! Let’s go. We’ve 
got him on the run.” 

And so these indomitable Earth-men, not 
content with having successfully escaped al- 
most inevitable doom, s«it their vessel hurt- 
ling after the retreating menace. Rockets 
blazing, green flashing disruptor tube pro- 
jecting its coruscating ray, the spheroid 
darted across the sky. Straight for the vast 
shell it plunged, straight into the fierce blue 
light. j 

But the enemy was a beaten thing, his 
courage was gone. He could but turn and 
flee, rushing across the vast stretches of 
space, with the Earth ship darting after him, 
worrying, harrying. What a spectacle it 
was, this cosmic flight across infinite space, 
the great bulk streaking its mass across the 
empyrean, with the baffled Emperor crouch- 
ed in a frenzy of agony on the platform, 
gazing ever backward at his pursuer, the 
midge darting after, plunging, biting, harry- 
ing, slicing, ever pecking away at the doom- 
ed spot. 

Did the Prostak scientists watch the 
transcendratal spectacle in their powerful 
telescopes? If so, what joy there must have 
been in that world, what a waving of tenta- 
cles, what a shimmering prooession of bright 



THE EMPEROR OF THE STARS 



1229 



red glyphs across their strange communica- 
tion disks! How that orange glowing air 
must have vibrated to emanations of joy and 
of thankfulness! 

The blue light was growing dim, the vic- 
tory was almost complete. At last, with 
startling suddenness, the end came. A final 
roaring electronic stream, and the last thin 
layer of quartz buckled and broke. A blind- 
ing burst, and the great shell smashed into 
a million flying sparks. All space was 
filled with blazing, coruscating debris. The 
awed earth men caught a last glimpse of the 
doomed Emperor,, his eyes filled with unut- 
terable horror, and then — there was black- 
ness, blessed unrelieved blackness. The Em- 
peror of the Stars was dead! 

Joe shut off the rockets, A1 released the 
trigger-lever of the ray. With unutterable 
thankfulness the two turned to one another, 
gripped hands in silent congratulation. Then, 
characteristically, the incident was closed. 

“What now? In this interstellar black- 
ness, unrelieved by any stars, what will be- 
come of us? Seems like we’ve hopped from 
a burning plane to a blazing forest.” Thus 
A1 expressed it. 

“Pessimist as usual ! After all we’ve got- 
ten through so far my bet is that we’ 11 get 
back home. Somehow I can’t believe that 
after our miraculous escapes from the dan- 
gers that have threatened us since we found 
ourselves in this space, we are doomed to 
drift endlessly — ” 

Joe was interrupted by a blinding flash of 
white light from without, a .sudden violent 
lurch of the craft. Both men rushed to 



look without, to discover wEaf new danger 
threatened them. 

A moment of stunned silence, the men 
looked at each other, then out again at — 
the stars! Stars, myriads of them! Soft- 
ly, almost reverently, A1 spoke. 

“Joe, look at the stars! Do you know 
what they are? The suns of our own space! 
Tliere’s Orion, there’s Cassiopeia, there’s 
Lyra, there’s Old Sol! We’re home again.” 

True enough. Dotting the blackness of 
interstellar space were the old familiar con- 
stellations. Billions of miles from Earth, 
yet the adventurers were back in known 
space, and fair and clear lay their route 
before them. 

“I can’t understand it,” Al, ever the scien- 
tist, pondered. “Wait, I have the glim- 
mering of an idea. You remember, we were 
pulled out of our course by some attraction, 
pulled into that other space. Now, every- 
thing in that space repelled, save only the 
globule of the Emperor. When we destroy- 
ed that, its attraction was gone. Apparent- 
ly forces from either world can make them- 
selves felt in the other through the point of 
contact. With the stronger pull of the blue 
horror gone, the gravitational pull of the 
worlds in our own space took hold of us, 
and brought us back!” 

“By Jove, you know everything! Well, 
old croaker, here we are. Now get us back 
to old Earth pronto. I’ve got a iiankering 
for a nice juicy sirloin steak, smothered in 
onions, and a great big schooner of beer! 
Then a good exciting teletalkie play, and a 
poker game with the bunch to wind up the 
evening ! ” 



THE END 



Kpra: 









YOUR LAST CHANCE 

to purchase the Winter 1931 Wonder Stories Quarterly 
on the newsstands The alUstar 

^INTERPLANETARY NUMBER** 

Now! On all Newsstands 





An Adventure In 
Futurity 



Illustrated by Marchioni 



A SURVIVOR from the lost continents 
of Mu or Atlantis, appearing on our 
modern streets, would have seemed no 
stranger, no more different from others, 
than the man who called himself Conrad 
Elkins. And yet I have always found it 
difficult to define, even in my own thoughts, 
the many elements which served to consti- 
tute this strangeness. 

It would seem (since we think mainly in 
words and are often dependent upon them 
for the clarification of our ideas) that the 



adjectives which would fitly describe Elkins 
were as yet non-existent in our vocabulary; 
that they could be found only in some un- 
imaginably subtle, complex and refined lan- 
guage, such as might be developed through 
long cycles of elaborating culture and civ- 
ilization on an older and riper planet than 
ours. 

Even at first sight I was greatly struck 
— not to say startled — by the man’s per- 
sonality. Perhaps the thing which arrested 
me more than all else was the impossibility 



1230 




of assigning him to any known ethnic stock. 
It is my theory that no human being is so 
individual that he does not possess obvious 
ear-marks which place him immediately 
among the tribes of mankind; and I am 
prone to pride myself on a sedulously cul- 
tivated gift for analyzing off-hand the an- 
tionality and racial affiliations of any given, 
person. 

But Elkins baffled me: his extreme pal- 
lor, his fine hair and clear-cut lineaments 
were, in a general sense, indicative of Cau- 
casian origin; yet I could not find the dis- 
tinguishing features of any American, Euro- 
pean or Asiatic branch of the white race. 
Also, I could not have told his age: he 
seemed young, when one considered the 
smoothness of his face; and yet there was 



a hint of something incalculably old in his 
expression. 

His garb was modish and welhtailored, 
with nothing in the least unusual or eccen- 
tric. In this, as in all other- things, he gave ^ 
always the subtle impression of desiring to 
avoid notice. He was a little under med- 
ium height and of strangely delicate build; 
and his features, considered by themselves, 
were almost effeminate, apart from the great 
brow of uncorrugated ivory, which resem- 
bled the one that we see in the portraits of 
Edgar Allan Poe. 

The small, intricately convoluted ears, the 
short, deeply curved lips, and the queer' ex- 
otic moulding of the sensitive nostrils all 
seemed to bespeak the possession of more 
highly developed senses than are normal to 



1231 



1232 



WONDER STORIES 



mankind. His eyes were very large and 
luminous, of an indescribable purplish col- 
or, and did not flinch, as I had occasion to 
observe, before the most intense light. His 
hands too were quite remarkable: in their 
extreme fineness, flexibility and vigor, they 
were the hands of a super-surgeon or a su- 
per-artist. 

The man’s habitual 
expression was wholly 
enigmatic. No one 
could have read his 
mind, and this not 
from any lack of mo- 
bility or expressive- 
ness in the lineaments 
themselves, but rather, 

I felt sure, from the 
unknown character of 
his ideas and motiva- 
tions. About him there 
was an aura of remote, 
recondite knowledge, 
of profound wisdom 
and aesthetic refine- 
ment. Assuredly he 
was a mystery from all 
angles ; and.- anyone 
who has gone into 
chemistry as I have is 
almost inevitably a 
lover of mysteries. I 
made up my mind to 
learn all that I could 
concerning him. 

✓ 

1 HAD seen Elkins a 
■number of times, 
on the streets and in 
libraries and museums, 
before the beginning of 
our actual acquaint- 
ance. Indeed, the fre- 
quency of our meetings 
in the multitudinous babel of New York was 
so phenomenal' that I soon decided that he 
must have lodgings near mine and was per- 
haps engaged in similar studies. I made 
inquiries regarding him from librarians and 
curators, but learned nothing more than his 
name and the fact that he had been reading 
the works of Havelock Ellis and other mod- 



ern authorities on sex, as well as many books 
on biology, chemistry and physics. 

The motives which prompted his visits to 
the Natural History and other museums 
were seemingly of a general nature. But 
evidently he was seeking to familiarize him- 
self with certain branches of modern science 
as well as archaeology. Being myself a 
student of chemistry, 
who had given nearly 
a decade of collegiate 
and post-graduate ef- 
fort to the subject, and 
also several years of 
independent work and 
experimentation in my 
laboratory on Wash- 
ington Square, my cur- 
iosity was touched 
with fraternal interest 
when I learned of El- 
kins’ studies. 

Others than myself, 
I found, had been 
struck by the man’s 
appearance; but no 
one really knew any- 
thing about him. He 
was extremely taci- 
turn, volunteering no 
information whatever 
regarding himself, 
though impeccably po- 
lite in all his dealings 
with others. Appar- 
ently he desired to 
avoid making friends 
or acquaintances — a 
far from difficult pro- 
cedure in any large 
city. Yet oddly enough 
I did not find it hard 
to know him — which, 
as I later learned, was 
due to the fact that Elkins had somehow 
conceived an interest in me and also was 
well aware of my interest. 

I came upon him one May afternoon as 
he was standing in the Natural History 
Museum before a case of artifacts from the 
Mounds of the Mississippi Valley. To all 
appearance he was deeply absorbed. 1 had 



'T'HE stories of Clark\ 
Ashton Smith ring 
with truth. He writes so 
well and so easily that the 
scenes that he tries to pic- 
ture cannot help but be im- 
pressed on the minds of 
his readers. 

To write a real story of 
the future, needs this un- 
usual faculty of writing 
imaginatively. The author 
must describe something 
that has not happened, in 
an age that has not yet ar- 
rived. To do this requires 
skill of the highest sort. 
That our author has this 
skill will be evident from 
almost the first words of 
the present story. 

The world of the future 
may not be the paradise 
that some people imagine. 

It is quite possible that for 
every advance in science 
there will come with it some 
subtle damage to our 
bodies, our minds, our civ- 
ilization. And it is quite 
possible that even when 
the day has come when 
man thinks that he has 
found a golden age, he may 
realize, as the Greeks did, 
that destruction is just 
\^around the corner. 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1233 



made up my mind to address him on some 
pretext or another, when suddenly he fore- 
stalled me. 

“Has it ever occurred to you,” he said in 
a grave, finely modulated voice, “how many 
civilizations have been irretrievably lost, 
how many have been buried by deluge, gla- 
cial action and geological cataclysm, and 
also by profound social upheavals with their 
subsequent reversions to savagery? 

“And do you ever think that present-day 
New York will some time be as fragmentary 
and fabulous as Troy or Zimbabwe? That 
archaeologists may delve in its ruins, be- 
neath the sevenfold increment of later cities, 
and find a few rusting 
mechanisms of disputed 
use, and potteries of 
doubtful- date, and in 
scriptions which no one 
can decipher? 

“I assure you, this is 
not only probable but cer- 
tain. The very history of 
America, in some future 
epoch, will become more 
or less legendary; and it 
would surprise you to 
know the theories and be- 
liefs regarding the current 
civilization which will 
some day be prevalent.” 

“You speak as if you 
had some inside informa- 
tion on the subject,” I re- 
plied half-jestingly. 

Elkins gave me a quick, inscrutable 
glance. 

“I am interested in all such things,” he 
said. “And by the same token, Mr. Pastor, 
I believe you are something of a specula- 
tive thinker yourself, along different lines. 
I have read your little thesis on the cosmic 
rays. Your idea, that these rays might be- 
come a source of illimitable power through 
concentration, appeals to me. I can safely 
say that the idea is quite ultra-modern.” 

I was surprised that he knew my name; 
but obviously he had made inquiries similar 
to mine. Also, of course, I was pleased by 
his familiarity with a treatise that was gen- 
erally looked upon as being rather ad- 



vanced, not to say fantastic, in its theories. 

The ice being thus broken, the growth of 
our acquaintance was rapid. Elkins came to 
my rooms and laboratory many times; and 
I in turn was admitted to his own modest 
lodgings, which as 1 had surmised were 
only a few blocks away from mine on the 
same street. 

The Man of Mystery 

A SCORE of meetings, and the develop- 
ment of a quasi-friendship, left me as 
. fundamentally ignorant concerning Elkins 
as I had been at first. 1 do not know why 
he liked me — perhaps it 
was the universal human 
need of a friend, inescap- 
able at all times and in all 
places. But somehow the 
half-affectionate air which 
he soon adopted toward 
me did not make it any 
easier to ask the personal 
questions that seethed 
within me. 

The more I came to 
know him, the more I was 
overcome by a sense of 
impossible seniority on 
his part — by the feeling 
that he must be older, and 
intellectually more evolv- 
ed than myself, in a fash- 
ion that could not be 
measured by tabulated years or classified 
knowledge. Strangely — since such a feel- 
ing has been unique in my experience — I 
was almost like a child before him, and 
grew to regard him with something of the 
awe which a child conceives toward an elder 
who is seemingly omniscient. Nor was the 
awe conditioned at first by anything which he 
actually said or did. 

The furnishings of his rooms were as non- 
committal as the man himself. There was 
nothing to seize upon as indicating his na- 
tionality and antecedents. However, I saw 
at once that he was a linguist, for there were 
books in at least four modern languages. 
One, which he told me he had just been 
reading, was a recent and voluminous Ger- 




CLARK ASHTON SMITH 




1234 WONDER 

man work on the physiology of sex. 

“Are you really much interested in that 
stuff?” I ventured to ask. “There is, it 
seems to me, overmuch discussion and all 
too little knowledge regarding such mat- 
ters.” 

“I agree with you,” he rejoined. “One 
hears of special knowledge, but it fails to 
materialize on investigation. I thought that 
I had eui object in studying this branch of 
20th century science; but now I doubt great- 
ly if there is anything of value to be learn- 
ed.” 

I was struck by the tone of intellectual 
impersonality which he maintained in all our 
discussions, no matter what the subject. His 
range of information was obviously vast, 
and he gave the impression of boundless re- 
serves, though there were certain avenues 
of science, generally looked upon as im- 
portant in our day, to which he seemed to 
have given only a somewhat cursory and 
negligent attention. 

I gathered that he did not think much of 
current medicine and surgery; and he start- 
led me more than once by pronouncements 
on electricity and astronomy that were wide- 
ly at variance with accepted ideas. Some- 
how, at most times he made me feel that 
he was discreetly curbing the full expression 
of his thoughts. He spoke of Einstein with 
respect and seemed to regard him as the 
one real thinkn- of the age, mentioning more 
than once with great approval his theories 
concerning time and space. 

Elkins showed a tactful interest in my 
own chemical researches ; but somehow I 
felt that he looked upon them as being rather 
elementary. Once in an unguarded man- 
ner, he spK>ke of the transmutation of me- 
tals as if it were already an accomplished 
every day fact; explaining the reference, 
when I questioned him, as a rhetorical 
flight of imagination in whicdi he had lost 
himself for the moment. 

The late spring and early summer passed, 
and the mystery which had drawn me to 
Elkins was still unsolved. I did indeed 
learn from a casual remark that he was a 
native of North America — which failed to 
render his ethnic distinction any the less 
baffling. 1 decided that he must represent 



STORIES 

a reversion to some type whose lineamenta 
have not be«i preserved in history, or must 
be one of those rare individuals who anti- 
cipate in themselves a whole era of the 
future evolution of the race. I will not deny 
that the truth occurred to me more than 
once; but how was I to know that the truth 
was a thing so utterly improbable? 

Much as I had grown to admire and even 
revere him, Elkins was to me the most in- 
comprehensible and alien being on earth; 
and I sensed in him a thousand differences 
of thought and emotion, and a world of un- 
familiar knowledge which for some reason 
he was trying to withhold from my appre- 
hension. 

One day, toward the end of the summer, 
he said to me: 

“I must leave New York before long, 
Hugh.” 

I was startled, since hitherto he had made 
no reference to leaving or to the duration 
of his stay. 

“You are returning home, perhaps? I 
hope it will at least be possible for us to 
keep in touch with each other.” 

He gave me a long, unreadable glance. 

“Yes, I am going home. But, odd as it 
may seem to you, there will be no possi- 
bility of future commimication between us. 
We part for all tinae — unless you should 
care to accompany me.” 

My curiosity seethed anew at his cryptic 
words. Yet somehow I was still unable to 
ask the questions that arose to my lips. 

“If you mean that as an invitation,” I 
said, “I shall be glad to accept and pay yon 
a visit sometime.” 

( ( "VT’ES, it is an invitation,” he rej oined 
A gravely. “But before accepting, 
would you not prefer to know where you 
are going? Perhaps, when you hear the 
truth, you vrill not care to accept. And 
perhaps you will not even believe me.” 

For once, my inquisitiveness was stronger 
than my rpspect. 

“Do you live on Mars or Saturn, then?” 

He smiled. “No, I am a denizen of the 
Earth; though it may surprise you, in the 
present infantile condition of astronautics, 
to learn that I have made more than one 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1235 



voyage to Mars. I realize your natural 
curiosity concerning me; and an explana- 
tion is now necessary. If, when you have 
learned the truth, you still care to accom- 
pany me as my guest, I shall be overjoyed 
to take you with me and to offer you my 
hospitality for as long as you wish to re- 
main.” 

He paused a moment. “The mystery that 
has troubled you will be fully explained 
when I tell you that 1 am not a man of your 
own era, but have come from a period far 
in the future — or what is known to you as 
the future. According to your notation, my 
proper time is about 15,000 A.D. My real 
name is Kronous Alkon — I have assumed 
the vaguely analogous one of Conrad Elkins, 
as well as the speech and garb of your time, 
for reasons which will be fairly obvious. 

“At present I shall give you -only a brief 
summary of the causes which prompted my 
visit to the 20th century. It would require 
a long discourse to even offer you an ade- 
quate sketch of our social anatomy and 
problems; and I speak merely of one asjject. 

“Humanity in our age is menaced with 
gradual extinction through an increasing 
overpreponderance of male children; and a 
method of sex-control, which would restore 
in some degree the balance of nature, is ur- 
gently desired. 

“Your age, the first great mechanistic 
era, is a well-nigh mythical period to us, 
and less known even than certain 'earlier 
periods, because of the all-engulfing savag- 
ery to which man reverted at its end. There 
ensued long dark ages, through which only 
the most fragmentary records survived, along 
with a legendry of vast, uncouth machines 
which the superstition of peoples identified 
with avenging demons. Perhaps they were 
not without reason, since the abuse of 
machinery was one of the main causes of 
your debacle. 

“Also, there remained a widespread pop- 
ular belief, accepted even now by many of 
our scientists, that the people of the 20th 
Century could determine at will the sex of 
their offspring; and that the secret of this 
determination was lost in the ensuing barbar- 
ism, along with certain minor secrets of 



chemistry and metallurgy which no later 
civilization has ever re-discovered. 

“The former belief has no doubt arisen 
because the sexes are well known to have 
been numerically equal in your time; and 
because they have not been equal since. For 
many thousands of years after the re- 
building of an enlightened civilization on 
the ruins of yours, girl-children predomin- 
ated; and the whole world became a matri- 
archy. 

“The period known as the Ameizonian wars, 
which were the most sanguinary and merci- 
less wars in history, put an end to the matri- 
archy by wiping out all but a few hundred 
thousand of the human race. These reverted 
to the most primitive conditions; there were 
more dark ages, and then, slowly, the evolu- 
tion of our present cycle of renewed cul- 
ture, in which the male predominates both 
numerically and intellectually. But our dif- 
ficulties were not over. 

“It was to recover the fabled secret of sex- 
determination that I came back through the 
ages, and have lived among you for a full 
year of 20th Century time. It has been a 
fascinating experience, and I have learned 
many things regarding the antique world 
which are altogether unknown and unverifi- 
able to my fellows. 

' “Your crude, cumbrous machines and 
buildings are not unimpressive in tbeir 
way; and your science is not without a few 
inklings of our later discoveries. But ob- 
viously you know even less regarding the 
mysterious laws of biology and sex than we 
do; your supposed method of determination 
is truly fabulous, and I have no reason for 
^tarrying any longer in an alien epoch. 

“Now to become personal. Hugh, you 
are the only friend I have cared to make in 
the epoch. Your mind is in some respects 
beyond the age; and though everything will 
seem different to you in our time, and much 
will be incomprehensible, I am sure you 
will find a surpassing interest in the world 
of 15,000 A.D. I shall of course provide you 
with a safe means of return to your own era 
whenever you wish. Will you go with me, 
Hugh?” ' ■ 

I could not reply for a moment. 1 was 
awed, astonished, bewildered even to stupe- 



1236 



WONDER STORIES 



faction by the remarkable things that my 
friend had just told me. His statements 
were no less than miraculous — yet somehow 
they were not incredible. I did not doubt 
his veracity for an instant After all, it was 
the only logical explanation of everything 
that had puzzled me in G>nrad Elkins. 

“Of course I’ll go with you,” I cried, 
overcome and dazzled by the strange oppor- 
tunity which he offered me. 

CHAPTER II. 

The Time Machine 

T here were a hundred obvious ques- 
tions that I wanted to ask Elkins. An- 
ticipating certain of these, he said: 

“The machine in which I travelled through 
time is a vessel commonly used among us 
for space-travel. I will explain to you later 
the modification of the original mechanism 
which rendered possible a journey in that 
fourth-dimensional space known as time. I 
have reason to believe that the invention is 
wholly unique and has never been dupli- 
cated. 

“I had nurtured for many years my pro- 
ject for visiting your period; and in prepar- 
ation for this, I made a prolonged study of 
all available historic data bearing thereon, 
as well as the archaeological and literary re- 
mains of antique America. As I have said, 
the remains are fragmentary; but the lan- 
guage, being the root-stock of our own 
tongue, is fairly well-known to our scholars. 

“I took pains to master it as far as possi- 
ble; though I have since found that some 
of our pronunciations and definitions are 
erroneous; also, that the vocabulary is much 
ampler than we had supposed. 

“I studied likewise the costumes of your 
period, of which a few plates are still ex- 
tant, and made for myself habiliments which 
would enable me to pass unnoticed upon my 
arrival.” 

Elkins paused, and went to his clothes- 
closet. He opened it and brought out a 
suit of some soft brown fabric. It was not 
badly tailored, though the cut was unfamil- 
iar. Later, I found that the actual plate 
from which it had been designed belonged 



to the year 1940, ten years in advance ol 
our own date. 

Elkins went on. “My departure was care- 
fully planned, and I am supposed to have 
gone on a voyage to the asteroids, several 
of which, notably Pallas, Vesta and Ceres, 
have been colonized by human beings for 
hundreds of years past. 

“I made the actual time-journey in a state 
of unconsciousness. This, as you will soon 
learn, was inevitable because of the tempor- 
ary abstraction from everything that creates 
or contributes to what we know as con- 
sciousness. I was prepared for it, and had 
made edl the necessary calculations and ad- 
justments beforehand, and had carefully 
synchronized the movement of the vessel in 
the time-dimension with the movement of the 
earth and the solar system in space. Geo- 
graphically speaking, I would not move an 
inch during the entire trip. 

“Rising to an elevation of thirty thou- 
sand feet above the earth, I started the time- 
mechanism. There was a period of absolute 
oblivion (a second or a million years would 
have seemed the same) and then, with the 
ceasing of the time-flight, I recovered my 
senses. Knowing that I was now in the 
20th Century, if my calculations were cor- 
rect, and not choosing to advertise my 
strangeness, I sought for a place where I 
could land quietly and without detection. 

“The place which I selected after much 
circumnavigation and study was an inac- 
cessible cliff in the Catskill Mountains, far 
from any settlement. There I descended at 
night and left my machine, whose presence 
was indetectible either from below or above. 
I finished my descent of the cliff by the use 
of an anti-gravitational device, and made my 
way from the wilderness. 

“The next day I was in New York, where, 
for the most part, I have remained ever 
since and have carried on unobtrusively my 
studies of your civilization. For monetary 
needs, I had brought with me some disin- 
terred coins^of your period, and also a few 
small ingots of ch^nically wrought gold.” 

He showed me one .of the coins — a silver 
dollar that was stained almost beyond re- 
cognition, like an ancient obolus, by the 
oxidation of untold centuries. Then he 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1237 



broi^h out another garment from the 
clothes-closet — a short flaring tunic of dull 
red with a long graceful mantle that could 
be detached at will, since it was fastened to 
the shoulders by two clasps of carven silver. 
The fabric, as well as the garment itself, 
was strange to me. Kronous also brought 
out a pair of sandals, vaguely resembling 
those of the ancients, though they were not 
made of leather .but of some stiff, inde- 
structible cloth. 

“This,” he said, “is the raiment in which 
I left Akameria, the America of 15,000 A.D. 
I will have a similar tunic made for you by 
some costume-tailor here in New York — and 
also sandals, though I suppose the sandals 
will have to be of leather, since the material 
used in these is a chemical product of my 
own time. I am planning to leave day after 
tomorrow, and ! hope that will not be too 
soon for you.” 

“Indeed it won’t,” I replied. “I haven’t 
many preparations to make — there’s nothing 
to do but lock up the laboratory and phone 
a few friends that I am leaving for a world- 
tour of indefinite length. I don’t imagine 
there’ll be any search-parties.” 

T WO days later, with an hour of day- 
light still before us, Elkins and I had 
reached the base of the unsurmountable cliff 
on which the, time-machine was hidden. The 
last four hours of our journey had been on 
foot. We were in the wildest section of the 
Castkills; and staring up at the terrible 
mountain-wall, I felt an increased awe of my 
strange companion, who seemed to have no 
doubt whatever of his ability to scale it. 

He opened a small satchel, whose con- 
tents he had not hitherto revealed to me, and 
took out the anti-gravitational device of 
which he had spoken. The thing was a hol- 
low disk of some dull, unidentifiable metal, 
with chains of an equally ambiguous mater- 
ial which secured it to the body. Elkins 
showed me the simple operation of the 
mechanism which, he said, was electronic in 
it.j /nature. Then he strapped it to his chest, 
set the apparatus running, and rose slowly 
in air till he reached the top of the pre- 
cipice. There be disappeared from view; 
but a few moments later, the metal disk was 



lowered at the end of a long cord for my 
use in surmounting the cliff. 

Following directions, I proceeded to ad- 
just the mechanism and start it going. The 
feeling of utter weightlessness as I floated 
upward was a most unique experience. It 
was as if I were a feather wafted on an im- 
perceptible air-current. Being unused to 
the apparatus, I did not understand the finer 
technique of movement beneath its influ- 
ence; and when I came to the cliff-edge I 
would have continued to drift skyward if 
my companion had not reached out and 
stopped me. 

I found myself standing beside him on a 
broad ledge overhung by another cliff which 
rose immediately above it. Certainly Elkins 
could not have chosen a safer hiding-place 
for his time-machine. 

The vessel itself, whose door Elkins now 
proceeded to unlock, was a long, spindle- 
shaped affair, evidently designed for swift 
movement in air or ether. It could not have 
carried more than three people. Inside, it 
was lined with lockers and machinery, and S 
there were great slings or cradles in which 
the driver and passengers were immovably 
suspended. This, of course, was requisite 
during the loss of gravity and normal weight 
in ether-flight. Elkins said that he had 
found it equally convenient to strap himself 
into one of the slings during his voyage in 
time. 

Both of us were still dressed in 20th cen- 
tury attire. Elkins now donned the tunic 
and sandals of his own age, which he had 
brought along in the satchel together with 
the duplicates that had been made for me 
by a somewhat mystified costumer. These 
Elkins directed me to put on. I obeyed, 
feeling like a masquerader in the odd garb. 

“That is the last of Conrad Elkins,” said 
my companion, pointing to his discarded 
suit. “Henceforth you must call me Kron- 
our Alkon. Your name will seem pretty 
outlandish among us; so I think I will in- 
troduce you as Huno Paskon, a young colon- 
ial boPn on Pallas.” 

Kronous Alkon now busied himself with 
the machinery of the vessel. This, to my 
untrained eye, was awesomely intricate. He 
adjusted a series of movable rods that were 



1238 



WONDER STORIES 



set in a notched board, and seemed to be 
winding up a clock-like apparatus with a 
numbered dial and three hands. There were 
hundreds — perhaps thousands — of figures 
on the dial. 

“That,” he said, “is to control within pre- 
cise limits the extent of our forward move- 
ment in the time-dimension. We are all set 
for the proper year, month and day.” 

He now fastened me, and then himself, 
in the complicated slings, and turned to a 
small key-board with many knobs and levers, 
which seemed to be distinct from the rest 
of the machinery. 

“These,” he said, “are the controls for 
atmosphere and ether-flight. Before turn- 
ing on the time-power, I shall rise to a 
higher altitude and fly south for about fifty 
miles.” 

He turned one of the knobs. There was 
a low, drumming sound; but 1 would not 
have been conscious of any movement, if a 
sudden sunset-glow through the vessel’s 
ports had not shown that we were rising 
above the level of the cliffs. 

After a few minutes, Kronous Alkon mov- 
ed one of the levers; and the drumming 
ceased. “The power of space-flight,” he 
said, “is provided by atomic disintegration. 
Now, for the time-flight, I shall make use of 
a very different kind of power — a strange, 
complex energy derived from the repercus- 
sion of cosmic rays, which will transport 
us into what, for lack of a better name, is 
called the fourth dimension. 

“Properly speaking, we will be outside of 
space, and, from a mundane view-point, will 
Ik* non-existent. I assure you however that 
there is no danger. When the time-power 
shuts off automatically in 15,000 A.D., you 
and I will awaken as if from a deep sleep. 
The sensation of dropping off may prove 
rather terrific, but no more so than the tak- 
ing of certain anaesthetics. Simply let your- 
self go and realize that there is nothing to 
fear.” 

Mutiny! 

H e seized a large rod and gave it a 
powerful jerk. I felt as if I had re- 
ceived an electric shock that was tearing all 



my tissues apart and disintegrating me into 
my ultimate cells and molecules. In spite 
of the re-assurance of Kronous Alkon, I was 
overwhelmed by an unspeakably confusing 
terror. I had the sensation of being divided 
into a million selves, all of which were 
whirling madly downward in the maelstrom 
of a darkening gulf. They seemed to go 
out one by one like sparks as they reached 
a certain level; till soon all were gone, and 
there was nothing anywhere but darkness 
and unconsciousness .... 

I came to myself in a manner which was 
like the direct reversal of my descent into 
oblivion. First, there was that sense of re- 
mote and spark-like entities, which increased 
to a multitude, all of them drifting upward 
in cosmic gloom from an ultimate nadir; 
and then the gradual merging of these enti- 
ties into one, as the interior of the time- 
machine resumed coherent outline around 
me. Then I saw before me the figure of 
Kronous Alkon, who had twisted about in 
his sling and was smiling as he met my 
gaze. It seemed to me that I had slept for 
a long, long time. 

My companion pressed a knob, and I had 
the feeling of one who descends in an ele- 
vator. It was not necessary for Kronous 
Alkon to tell me that we were sinking earth- 
ward. In less than a minute, trees and 
buildings were visible through the ports, 
and there was a slight jar as we landed. 

“Now,” said Kronous, “we are on my coun- 
try estate near Djarma, the present capital 
of Akameria. Djarma is built on the ruins 
of the city of New York, but is hundreds of 
miles inland, since there have been exten- 
sive geologic changes during the past 
13,000 years. You will find that the climate 
is different too, for it is now sub-tropical. 
Weather conditions are pretty much under 
human control, and we have even reduced by 
artificial means the permanent areas of ice 
and snow at the poles.” 

He had unstrapped himself and was per- 
forming the same service for me. Then he 
opened the door of the vessel and motioned 
me to precede him. I was met by wafts of 
warm, perfume-laden air as I stepped out 
on a stone platform adjoining a sort of aero- 
drome — a great, shining edifice in which 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1239 



were housed various air-craft of unfamiliar 
types. 

Not far away was another building, mark- 
ed by a light, graceful architecture, with 
many tiers of op>en galleries, and high, fan- 
tastic, Eiffel- like towers. There were ex- 
tensive gardens around this building; and 
broad fields of vegetables that I did not 
recognize ran away on each side of the dis- 
tance. Somewhat apart, there stood a group 
of long, one-storied houses. 

“My home,” said Kronous. “I trust that 
everything is well. I left the estate in 
charge of my two cousins, Altus and Oron. 
Also, there is Trogh the Martian overseer, 
and a barracoon of Venusian slaves, who do 
all the agricultural labor. All our neces- 
sary menial and industrial tasks are per- 
formed by such slaves, who have been im- 
ported to earth for many generations, and 
are now becoming a problem in themselves. 
I hope there has not been any trouble dur- 
ing my absence.” 

I noticed that Kronous had taken from an 
inner pocket of his tunic a small rod, 
vaguely resembling a flash-light and having 
a ball of red glass or crystal at one end. 
This he was now carrying in his hand. 

“An electronic projector,” he explained. 
“Tlie current paralyzes, but does not kill, at 
any distance up to fifty yards. Sometimes 
we have to use such weapons when the slaves 
are recalcitrant. The Venusians are a low, 
vicious type and require careful handling.” 

We started toward the house, whose lower 
stories were half-concealed by tall trees and 
massed shrubbery. No sign of life was 
manifest, as we followed a winding path 
among fountains of colored marble, and 
palms and rhododendrons, and baroque, un- 
earthly-looking plants and flowers that 
would have baffled a present-day botanist. 
Kronous told me that some of these latter 
were importations from Venus. The hot, 
humid air was saturated with odors which 
I found oppressive, but which Kronous ap- 
peared to inhale with delight. 

Rounding a sharp turn in the path, we 
came to an open lawn immediately in front 
of the house. Here an unexpected and ter- 
rific 8c«ae revealed itself. Two men, at- 
tired like Kronous, and a huge, barrel- 



tdiested, spindle-legged being with an ugly 
head like that of a hydrocephalous frog, 
were fronting a horde of bestial creatures 
who would have made the Neanderthal man 
look like an example of classic beauty in 
comparison. 

There must have been a score of these be- 
'ings, many of whom were armed with clubs 
and stones, which they were hurling at the 
three who opposed them. Their brown- 
black bodies were clothed only with patches 
and tufts of coarse, purple hair; and per- 
haps half of their number were adorned 
with thick, bifurcated tails. These, I learn- 
ed later, were the females — the males, for 
some obscure evolutionary reason, being un- 
distinguished in this respect. 

HE SLAVES!” cried Kronous, as he 
J. ran forward with his projector level- 
led. Following him, I saw the fall of one 
of the two men beneath the impact of a large 
stone. A dozen of the slaves were lying 
senseless on the lawn; and 1 could see that 
the persons they were attacking were armed 
with projectors. 

Our approach had not been noticed; and 
Kronous made deadly use of his weapon at 
close range, stretching slave after slave on 
the ground. Turning, and apparently recog- 
nizing their master, the remainder began to 
disperse sullenly. Their rout was com- 
pleted by the heavy-chested giant, who hurl- 
ed after them with his catapult-like arms 
much of the ammunition which they had 
dropped on beholding Kronous. 

“I fear that Altus is badly hurt,” said 
Kronous as we joined the little group on 
the lawn. The other man, whom Kronous 
now introduced to me as his cousin Oron, 
was stooping over the fallen figure and ex- 
amining a hidden wound from which blood 
was streaming heavily amid the fine black 
hair. Oron, who acknowledged the intro- 
duction with a courteous nod, had himself 
been cut and bruised by several missiles. 

The introduction had been made in Eng- 
lish. Kronous and Oron now began to talk 
ir a language that I could not understand. 
Apparently some explanation was being 
made regarding myself, for Oron gave me a 
quick, curious glance. The giant had ceased 



1240 



WONDER STORIES 



hurling stones and clubs after the departing 
Venusians, and now came to join us. 

“That is /irogh, the Martian overseer,” 
said Kronous to me. “Like all of his race he 
is extremely intelligent. They are an old 
people with the immemorial civilization that 
has followed a diflferent trend from ours but 
is not therefore necessarily inferior; and we 
of earth have learned much from them, 
though they are highly reserved and secre- 
tive.” 

The reddish-yellow body of the Martian 
was attired only in a black loin-cloth. His 
squat, toad-like features, under the high, 
bulging, knobby head, were impossible to 
read; and I was chilled by the sense of an 
unbridgeable evolutionary gulf ets I looked 
into his icy green eyes. 

Culture, wisdom, power, were manifest 
behind his gaze, but in forms that no human 
being was properly fitted to understand. He 
spoke in a harsh, guttural voice, evidently 
using human language, though the words 
were difficult to recognize as being in any 
way related to those employed by Kronous 
and Oron, because of an odd prolongation 
of the vowels and consonants. 

Carrying among us the still unconscious 
form of Altus, Oron, Kronous, Trogh and 
myself entered the portico of the nearby 
house. Both the architecture and material 
of this building were the most beautiful I 
had ever seen. Much use was made of 
arabesque arches and light decorative pil- 
lars. The material, which resembled a very 
translucent onyx, was, as Kronous told me, 
in reality a synthetic substance prepared by 
atomic transmutation. 

Within, there were many couches covered 
with unknown opulent fabrics of superb de- 
sign. The rooms were large, with lofty, 
vaulted ceilings; and in many cases were di- 
vided only by rows of pillars, or by tapes- 
tries. The furniture was of much beauty, 
with light, curving lines that conformed to 
the architecture; and some of it was made 
from gem-like materials and gorgeous met- 
als that I could not name. There were scores 
of paintings and statues, mainly of the most 
bizarre and fantastic nature, and testifying to 
supreme technical skill. I learned that some 
pf the paintings were first-hand depictions 



of scenes on alien planets. 

We laid Altus on^a couch. The man was 
indeed severely injured, and his breathing 
was slow and faint. In all likelihood he had 
suffered some degree of brain-concussion. 

Kronous brought out a bulb-shaped mech- 
anism ending in a hollow cone, which, he ex- 
plained to me, was the generator of a force 
known as osc — a super-electric energy used 
in the treatment of wounds as well as of ill- 
ness in general. It was of sovereign power 
in restoring the normal processes of health, 
no matter what the cause of derangement 
might be. 

When the generator was set in action by 
Kronous, I saw the emission of a green light 
from the hollow end, falling on the head of 
the wounded man. The pulse of Altus be- 
came stronger and he stirred a little, but did 
not awaken as yet. When Kronous turned 
off the green ray after a few minutes, he 
asked me to examine the wound; and I 
found that it was already beginning to heal. 

“Altus will be perfectly well in two or 
three days,” said Kronous. 

‘The real problem,” he went on, “is the 
Venusians — and not only for me but for 
everyone else. It was a dreadful mistake 
to bring them to earth in the beginning; 
they are not only ferocious and intractable, 
but they breed with the most appalling fe- 
cundity, in opposition to the dwindling 
numbers of the human race. Already they 
outnumber us five to one; and in spite of 
our superior knowledge and weapons, I be- 
lieve that they constitute our worst menace. 
All that they require is a little organization.” 

CHAPTER III. 

The World of 15,000 A. D. 

E vening had now fallen. Trogh had 
retired to his own quarters, presided 
over by his Martian wife, at some distance 
from the house. A meal consisting mainly 
of delicious fruits amd vegetables, most of 
which were new to me, was served by Oron. 

I learned that one of the vegetables was a 
species of truffle imported from Venus. Af- 
ter we had eaten, a strong, delicately flav- 
ored liqueur, made from a fruit that vaguely 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1241 



resembled both the peach and the pineapple, 
was brought out in deep, slender glasses of 
crystal. 

Kronous now spoke at some length. He 
told me that he had already confided the 
truth concerning his time-voyage and myself 
to Oron. “The reason I did not want my 
trip to be known,” he said, “is because of 
the mechanical principle involved, which 
might be stolen or duplicated by some other 
inventor. And I am dubious of its value to 
mankind in general. 

“We of the present era have learned not 
to abuse mechanical devices in the gross 
manner of earlier generations; but even so, 
it is not well that man should know too 
much. We have conquered space, and the 
conquest has entailed new perils. On the 
whole, I think it would be better if the con- 
quest of time should remain an isolated ex- 
ploit. I can trust Oron, and also Altus, to 
keep the secret.” 

He went on to speak of various things 
which he felt that it was necessary for me 
to know. “You will find,” he soliloquized, 
“that our world is motivated by desires and 
ambitions very different from those which 
are most prevalent in your own. The mere 
struggle for existence, for wealth and power, 
is almost alien to our comprehension. Crime 
is extremely rare among us, and we have 
few problems of administration or govern- 
ment. When such occur, they are submit- 
ted to the arbitration of a board of scien- 
tists. 

“We have infinite leisure; and our aspira- 
tions are toward the conquest of remote 
knowledge, the creation of rare art-forms, 
and the enjoyment of varied intellectual and 
esthetic sensations, aided by the long life- 
span, averaging three or four hundred years, 
which our mastery of disease has made pos- 
sible. (I myself am 150 years old, as it 
may surprise you to learn.) 

“I am not sure, however, that this mode 
of life has been wholly to our advantage. 
Perhaps through the very lack of struggle, 
of hardship, of difficulty, we are becoming, 
effete and effeminate. But I think we will 
be put to a severe test before long. 

“Coming as you have from a commercial 
age,” he went on, “it will no doubt interest 



you to be told that half of our own com- 
merce is interplanetary. There are whole 
fleets of ether-craft that ply between the 
earth. Mars, Venus, the moon and the aster- 
oids. However, we are not on the whole a 
commercial people. Apart from those of us 
who have chosen to live in cities, the re- 
mainder are mostly the owners of large 
plantations where everything necessary is 
produced or manufactured by slave-labor. 
It is, of course, only our dwindling numbers 
that have made this system possible. 

“We possess the power, if we so desire, 
of manufacturing everything through a mode 
of chemical synthesis. However, we find 
that natural food-stuffs are preferable to the 
synthetic kind; and we make less use of our 
knowledge in this regard than you might 
suppose. Perhaps the chief use of our mas- 
tery of atomic conversion is in the making 
of fabrics and building-materials. 

“There is much more that I might tell 
you; but you will see and learn for yourself. 
Tomorrow morning, Oron and myself will 
begin to instruct you in our language.” 

T hus began several quiet weeks of life 
on Kronous’ estate. I made rapid pro- 
gress in the language, which bore about the 
same relation to English that English bears 
to Latin. I was given access to a fine and 
extensive library filled with the latest 
scientific works, with fiction and poetry of 
the latter-day world, and also a few rare 
items dating from periods which, though 
long subsequent to our own time, were 
nevertheless buried in the dust of antiquity. 
On several occasions Kronous took me 
through his laboratory, in which he could 
perform the most incredible marvels of 
atomic transformation, and feats of micros- 
copic analysis that revealed a whole world 
ii! the electron. I realized that the science 
of our time was child’s-play compared with 
that of the era into which 1 had been trans- 
ported. 

\ One day Kronous showed me a cabinet 
full of objects that had been recovered from 
the ruins of New York and other antique ci- 
ties. Among them were porcelain dinner- 
plates, Masonic emblems, pearl necklaces, 
China door-knobs, twenty dollar gold-pieces, 



1242 



WONDER STORIES 



and spark-plogs. The sight of them, and the 
realization of their extreme age, combined 
ydth their homely familiarity, aroused in me 
the most violent nostalgia — an intolerably 
desperate homesickness for my-own period. 
This feeling lasted for days; and Kronous 
did not show me any more ancient relics. 

Akus had recovered fully from his wound; 
and I heard of no more insubordination 
from the slaves of Kronous. However, I 
could not forget the terrible scene which 
had formed my initiation into life on the 
estate. I saw many times the savage-look- 
ing Venusians, who went about their agri- 
cultural labors with a sullen air of mindless 
brooding; and I was told much concerning 
them. 

Their ancestors were inhabitants of the 
deep and noisomely luxuriant jungles of 
V«MJs, where they lived under the most 
primitive conditions, in perpetual conflict 
with terrible animals and irtsects, and also 
with each other. They were cannibalistic 
by nature, and their habits in this respect 
had proven hard to curb. Every now and 
then on the plantations one of their number 
would disappear surreptitiously. 

The slave-trade had flourished for several 
cefituries, but had languished of late years, 
since diose brought to earth had now multi- 
plied in excess of the required quota. The 
original Venusian slaves were mostly though 
not all, the captives of tribal raids and 
wars; and they had been purchased very 
cheaply by terrestrial traders in exchange 
for alcoholic liquors and edged weapons. 

However, the Venusians had been willing 
to sell even members of their own tribes. 
Apparently there was little attachment or 
loyalty among them; and their instincts 
were those of wolves and tigers. 

The Martians had come to earth mainly 
as traders; though their services were some- 
times procurable for such positions as the 
one held by Trogh. They were taciturn and 
aloof; but they had permitted certain' of 
their chemical and astronomical discoveries 
to be utilized by human beings. 

TTiey were a philosophical race, much 
given to dreaming, and were universally 
addk^ed to the use of a strange drug, known 
as finUtan, the juke of a Martian weed. 



This drug was more powerful than opium 
or hashish, and gave rise to even wilder vis- 
ions, but its effects were physically harm- 
less. Its use had spread among human be- 
ings, till a law was passed forbidding its 
importation. It was still smuggled both by 
Martians and Terrestrials, in spite of all the 
efforts made to stop it; and addiction to the 
drug was still fairly common among human- 
ity. 

By means of radio and television, both of 
which were now employed in vastly simpli- 
fied and improved forms, Kronous and his 
cousins were in hourly touch with the whole 
world of their time, and even with the earth- 
stations on Mars, Venus, the moon and the 
larger asteroids. I was privileged to see in 
their televisors many scenes that would have 
appeared like the maddest visions of delir- 
ium back in 1930. 

The Black Rot 

W E were posted on all the news of the 
world; and with my growing mastery 
of the language, I soon came to the point 
where I no longer required the interpreta- 
tion of Kronous to understand the announce- 
ments. Much of this news was not reassur- 
ing, but served to confirm the prophetic 
fears that had been voiced by my host. 

There were daily outbreaks on the part of 
Venusian slaves all over the planet; and in 
many cases much damage was inflicted be- 
fore they could be subdued. Also, these 
outbreaks were beginning to display a mys- 
terious concertion and a degree of mentality 
of which the Venusians had not hitherto 
been believed capable. 

Acts of sabotage, as well as personal as- 
saults, were increasingly common; and the 
sabotage in particular often showed a ra- 
tional intelligence. Even at this early date, 
there were those who suspected that the Ven- 
usians were being aided and incited by the 
Martians; but there was no tangible proof 
of such abetting at the time. 

One day, from Djarma, there came the 
news of that bizarre mineral plague known 
as the Black Rot. jOne by one the buildings 
in the suburbs of Djarma were being at- 
tacked by this novel disease, which caused 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1243 



their synthetic stone and metal to dissolve 
inch by inch in a fine black powder. The 
Rot was the work of a micro-organism which 
must somehow have been introduced from 
Venus, where its ravages had been noted in 
certain mountain-ranges. Its appearance on 
earth was a mystery, but had all the air of 
another act of sabotage. It was capable of 
devouring half the elements known to chem- 
istry; and off-hand, nothing could be dis- 
covered to arrest its progress, though all the 
Akamerian chemists were at work on the 
problem. 

Kronous and I watched in the tele.visor 
the working of the Black Rot. Somehow, it 
was inexpressibly terrifying to see the slowly 
spreading area of silent and utter devasta- 
tion, the crumbled or half-eaten buildings 
from which the occupants had fled. The 
thing had started on the outskirts of Djarma, 
and was steadily devouring the city in an 
ever-broadening arc. 

All the best-known scientists of Akameria 
were summoned in conclave at Djarma to 
study the Rot and devise if possible a means 
of retardation. Kronous^ who was a re- 
nowned chemist and microscopist, was' 
among those called upon. He offered to 
take me with him, and of course I accepted 
with the utmost eagerness. 

The trip was a matter of no more than 
forty miles, and we made it in a light air- 
vessel belonging to Kronous — a sort of 
monoplane run by atomic power. , 

Though I had already familiarized myself 
with many of the scenes of Djarma by tele- 
vision, the city was a source of absorbing 
fascination to me. It was far smaller than 
New York and was widely spaced, with many 
gardens and exuberant semi-tropical parks 
meandering through its whole extent. The 
architecture was nearly all of the same open, 
aerial type that I had seen in KrOhous’ 
home. The streets were broad and spacious 
and there were comparatively few large 
buildings. The whole effect was one of 
supreme grace and beauty. 

The streets were not overcrowded with 
people, and no one ever seemed to be in a 
hurry.' It was strange to see the grotesque 
Martians and bestial Venusians mingling 
everywhere with humans of the same type 



as Kronous. The stature and build of Kron- 
ous were about the average and it was rare 
to see a man who was taller than five feet 
six inches. I, of course, with my five feet 
eleven, was very conspicuous and attracted 
much attention. 

The conclave of savants was being held 
in a large edifice, built expressly for such 
meetings, at the heart of Djarma. Enter- 
ing, we found that about two hundred men, 
some of whom were extremely old and vener- 
able, had already gathered in the council 
chamber. Much general discussion was go- 
ing on; and those who had ideas to suggest 
were listened to in respectful silence. Kron- 
ous and I took seats amid the gathering. So 
intent were all these men on the problem to 
be solved, that few of them even vouchsafed 
me a curious glance. 

Peering at the faces about me, I was awed 
by an impression of supreme intellectuality 
and wisdom — the garnered lore of incalcul- 
able ages. Also, on many of these coun- 
tenances I perceived the marks of a world- 
old ennui, and the stamp of a vague sterility, 
an incipient decadence. 

For some time, Kronous and I listened to 
the discussion that was in progress. Pon- 
dering the various data brought forward, I 
was struck by the fact that all the elements 
assailed by the Black Rot belonged at the 
opposite end of the scale from radium in 
regard to their atomic activity and explo- 
siveness. 

OTTO VOCE, I commented on this to 
Kronous. “Is it not possible,” I sug- 
gested, “that radium might be of some use in 
combating the plague? I believe you have 
told me that radium, like any other element, 
is easily manufacturable nowadays.” 

“That is a striking inspiration,” said 
Kronous thoughtfully. “And it might be 
worth- trying. With our chemical mastery 
we can make all the radium we need at will 
in our laboratories. With your permission 
I am going to broach the idea.” 

He arose and spoke briefly amid the at- 
tentive silence of the assembly. “Credit for 
the idea,” he announced as he ended, “must 
be given to Huno Paskon, a young colonial 




1244 



WONDER STORIES 



from Pallas, whom I have brought to earth 
as my guest.” 

I felt myself abashed by the grave, unan- 
imous gaze of these erudite and reverend 
savants, who all eyed me in a manner that 
I could not fathom. Somehow, it seemed 
unthinkably presumptuous to have made any 
suggestion in their presence. 

However, there appeared to be much ser- 
ious debate going on — a widespread discus- 
sion in which the proposed use of radium 
was manifestly meeting with great favor. 
At last a venerable savant named Argo Kan, 
who was spokesman of the assembly, rose 
and said: 

“I vote for an immediate trial of the meth- 
od suggested by Kronous Alkon and Huno 
Paskon.” 

Others, one by one, stood up and cast 
similar verbal votes, till the motion had been 
approved by nearly everyone present. 

The meeting then dispersed, and I learned 
from Kronous that work was being immed- 
iately begun in local laboratories for the 
preparation of radium on a large scale and 
it.® utilization in the most effective form. 

In less than an hour, several chemists 
were ready to visit the area of -destruction 
with portable machines in which radium was 
disintegrated and used as a fine spray. It 
was magical in arresting the Black Rot, 
which had been eating its way continuously 
into the city, creeping from house to house 
along the crumbling pavements. The whole 
affected area, which now covered several 
square miles, was soon surrounded by a cor- 
don of men equipped with the radium-mach- 
ines; and, to the vast relief of the people of 
Djarma and Akameria, the plague was pro- 
nounced under control. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Captured by Cannibals 

D uring our stay in Djarama, Kronous 
and I were guests in a fine building set 
apart for the use of visiting scientists. I 
was amazed at the sybaritic luxury develop- 
ed by this people — a luxury which, though 
illisoitably and unimaginably resourceful. 



was at no time in excess of the bounds of 
good taste. 

There were baths that would have been 
the envy of a Roman emperor, and beds that 
would have reduced Cleopatra to beggary. 
We were lulled by rich, aerial music from 
BO visible source, and were served with food 
and with all other necessities as if by in- 
tangible hands, at the mere verbal expres- 
sion of a wish. 

Of course, there was a mechanical secret 
to such wonders; but the secret was cleverly 
hidden, and the means never obtruded itself. 
Humbly I realized how far ahead of our- 
selves were these men of 15,000 A.D., with 
their quiet and consummate mastery of na- 
tural laws — a mastery which none of them 
seemed to regard as being of any great value 
or importance. 

I was somewhat embarrassed by the honor 
paid to myself as the originator of a means 
of retarding the Black Rot, and could only 
feel that my inspiration had been merely a 
fortunate accident. Compliments, both writ- 
ten and verbal, were showered upon me by 
scientific dignitaries; and it was only 
through the intercession of Kronous, who 
explained my aversion to publicity, that I 
was able to avoid numerous invitations. 

Finding that he had certain business to 
transact, Kronous was not ready to return to 
his estate for several days. Since he could 
not devote all of his time to me, I formed 
the habit of going for long walks on the 
streets of Djarma and through its environs. 

Walking slowly amid the changing scenes 
of a metropolis has always been a source of 
unending fascination to me. And of course, 
in this unfamiliar city of the future, where 
all was new^and different, the lure of such 
wanderings was more than doubled. And 
the sensation of knowing that I trod above 
the rtfins of New York, separated from my 
own period by 13,000 years with their in- 
conceivable historic and telluric vicissi- 
tudes, was about the weirdest feeling that I 
have ever experienced. 

It was a strange spectacle through which 
I sauntered. Vehicles were used, of a light, 
noiseless, gliding type without visible means 
of propulsion; and the^e were many air- 
vessels which flew deftly and silently over- 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1245 



head and discharged their passengers on the 
roofs or balconies of the high buildings. 
And the landing m: departure of great, diin- 
ing ether-ships was an hourly occurrence. 
However, it was the throng of foot-passen- 
gers which engaged my attention most, 
j Both sexes and all ages were attired in 
gaily colored costumes. I was impressed 
by the practical absence of noise, tumult and 
hurry: all was orderly, tranquil, uncon- 
fused. From the scarcity of women in the 
crowd, I realized how true were the racial 
fears expressed by Kronous. The women 
whom I saw were seldom beautiful or at- 
tractive according to 20th Century stand- 
ards; in fact, there was something almost 
lifeless and mechanical about them, almost 
sexless. 

It was as if the sex had long reached 
the limit of its evolutionary development 
and was now in a state of Stagnation oi 
virtual retrogression. Such, I learned from 
Kronous, was indeed the case. But these 
women, because of their rarity and their 
value to the race, were shielded ^nd pro- 
tected with great care. Polyandry* was pre- 
valent; and romantic Ipve, or even strong 
passion, were unknown things in this latter- 
day world. 

A horrible homesickness came over me at 
times as I roamed amid this alien throng and 
peered into shop-windows where outlandish 
food-stuffs and curiously wrought fabrics 
from foreign planets were often displayed. 
And the feeling would increase whenever I 
approached the Martian quarter, where 
dwelt a considerable colony of these my- 
sterious outsiders. 

Some of them had transported their own 
many-angled and asymmetrical architecture 
to earth. Their houses defied the rules of 
geometry — one might almost say those of 
gravity; and the streets about them were 
full of exotic odors, among which the stupe- 
fying reek of the drug gnaltan was predom- 
inant. The place allured me, even though 
it disturbed me; and I strolled often through 
the tortuous alleys, beyond which I would 
reach the 0 {)en country and wander among 
luxuriant fields and palmy woods that were 

*The condition of lisviag more than one husb»&4. 



no less baffling and unfamiliar than the 
scenes of the city. 

O NE afternoon, I started out later than 
usual. As I passed through the city, 1 
noticed that there were few Venusians in 
the throng, and overheard rumors of fresh 
revolts. However, I paid little attention to 
these at the time. 

Twilight had overtaken me when I turned 
back from the of»en country toward the Mar- 
tian quarter. The sylvan wilderness, in 
which I had never met many people, was 
quieter even than usual. I was following a 
narrow path bordered with thick shrubbery 
and palmettoes; and I began to hurry with 
a vague apprehensiveness, remembering the 
rumors I had heard. Heretofore I had been 
unafraid; but now, in the thickening twi- 
light, I was aware of some indefinable men- 
ace; and remembered that I had foolishly 
forgotten to arm myself with the electronic 
projector which Kronous had given me to 
carry in my wanderings. 

I had not seen anyone in the neighbor- 
hood. But now, as I went along, I scrutin- 
ized the deepening shadows of the Rub- 
bery on each side of the path. Suddenly I 
heard a sound behind me that was like the 
scuffling of heavy, naked feet; and turning, 
saw that seven or eight Venusians, several 
of them armed with clubs, were closing in 
upon me. They must have been croucting 
amid the leafage as I passed. 

Their eyes gleamed like those of ravenous 
wolves in the twilight; and they uttered low, 
snarling, animal noises as they hurled them- 
selves upon me. I avoided the viciously 
swinging weapon of the foremost and laid 
him out with a neat upper-cut; but the others 
were at me in a moment, using indiscrimin- 
ately their clubs and dirty talons. I was 
aware of claws that tore my clothing and 
slashed my flesh; and then something de- 
scended upon my head with a dull crash, and 
I went down through reeling flame and 
whirling darkness to utter insensibility. 

When I came to myself I was conscious at 
fii st only of my pain-racked head and limbs. 
The crown of my head was throbbing vio- 
lently from the blow I had received. Then 
I heard a mutter of thick, unhuman voices. 



1246 



WONDER STORIES 



and opening my eyes, beheld the flame-lit 
faces and bodies of a score of Venusians who 
were dancing about a great fire. I was ly- 
ing on my back; and it required only a 
tentative effort at movement to tell me that 
my hands and feet were bound. Another 
man, similarly bound and perhaps dead or 
dying, was stretched on the ground beside 
me. 

I lay still, deeming it inadvisable to let 
the Venusians know that I had recovered 
consciousness, and watched the lurid scene. 
It was something out of Dante’s Inferno, 
with the red reflection that ran bloodily on 
the uncouth, hairy limbs and hideous, de- 
moniacal features of the interplanetary 
slaves. Their movements, though they had 
a semblance of some rude, horrible rhythm, 
were nearer to the capering of animals than 
they were to the dancing of even the lowest 
terrestrial savages; and I could not help but 
wonder that such beings had mastered the 
art of lighting a fire. 

The use of fire, I was told, had been un- 
known to them in their own world till the 
advent of men. I remembered hearing also 
that they sometimes employed it nowadays 
in their cannibalistic revels, having acquired 
a taste for cooked meat. Likewise it was 
rumored of late that they were not averse 
to human flesh, and that more than one un- 
fortunate had fallen a victim to their prac- 
tices. 

Such reflections were not conducive to 
my peace of mind. Also, I was oddly dis- 
turbed by a large sheet of metal grating, 
lying near the fire and having a grotesque 
resemblance to a giant gridiron, which was 
visible at intervals between the whirling fig- 
ures. At second glance I recognized it as 
a sort of perforated tray which was used in 
the dehydration of various fruits. It was 
about eight feet in length by four in width. 

Suddenly I heard a whisper from the man 
beside me, whom I had supposed uncon- 
scious. 

“They are waiting for the fire to die 
down,” he said, almost inaudibly. “Then 
they will broil us alive over the coals on 
that sheet of metal.” 



Ready to be Eaten! 

1 SHUDDERED, though the information 
was far from novel or unexpected. 
“How did they get you?” I inquired, in a 
tone as low as that of my interlocutor. 

“I am, or was, the owner of these slaves,” 
he answered. “They caught me unaware this 
time; but I believe, or hope, that my family 
has escaped. I made the mistake of think- 
ing the slaves were thoroughly cowed from 
punishments that I inflicted not long ago. I 
gather that there has been a concerted revolt 
this afternoon, from what the savages them- 
selves (whose speech I understand) have let 
drop. They are not so unintelligent as most 
people believe them to be; and I have a 
theory that the terrestrial climate has served 
to stimulate their mentality. 

“They possess secret means of commun- 
ication among themselves over the most un- 
believable distances, that are no less effi- 
cient than radio. I have long suspected, too, 
that they have a tacit understanding with the 
Martians, who are covertly abetting them. 
The micro-organism that caused the Black 
Rot was no doubt smuggled from Venus by 
the Martians in their ether-vessels; and 
there is no telling what sort of plague they 
will loose next. There are some queer and 
frightful things on those alien planets — • 
things that are deadly to terrestrials though 
harmless enough to the natives. I fear that 
the end of human supremacy is near at 
hand.” 

We conversed in this fashion for some 
time; and I learned that the name of my 
fellow-captive was Jos Talar. In spite of 
our dire and seemingly hopeless predica- 
ment, he showed no evidence of fear; and 
the abstract, philosophical manner in which 
he viewed and discussed the situation was 
truly remarkable. But this, as I had occa- 
sion to observe, was characteristic of the 
temper of mankind in that era. 

A full half hour must have passed, as we 
lay there bound and helpless. Then we saw 
that the huge fire was beginning to die down, 
revealing a vast bed of glowing coals. The 
light grew dimmer on the antic figures 
around it, and the beast-like faces of the 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1247 



Venusians were more loathsome than ever 
ia the lowering gloom. 

The dancing ceased, as if at an unspoken 
signal; and several of the dancers left the 
circle and came to where Jos Talar and 
myself were lying. We could see the gloat- 
ing of their obscene eyes and the slavering 
of thrtr greedy mouths, as they dug their 
filthy talons into our flesh and dragged us 
roughly toward the fire. 

In the meanwhile others had stretched the 
huge metal tray upon the bed of coals. All 
of them were eyeing us with a hyena-like 
avidity that made me shiver with sickness 
and repulsion. 

1 will not pretend that I was able to regard 
with any degree of complacency the pros- 
pect of becoming in the near future a Venus- 
ian piece de resistance. But I nerved myself 
to the inevitable, reflecting that the agony 
would soon be over. Even if they did not 
knock us on the head beforehand, there 
would be a swift though terrible death on 
the bed of coals. 

Our captors had now seized us by out 
feet and shoulders, as if they were about to 
fling us upon the improvised gridiron. 
There was an awful moment of suspense; 
and I wondered why the Venusians did not 
complete the expected action. Then 1 heard 
from their lips a low snarling, with an un- 
mistakable note of alarm, and saw that all 
of them were watching the starlit heavens. 
They must have possessed keener senses than 
those of humanity^ for at first 1 could neither 
see nor hear anything to justify their atten- 
tion. Then, far-olf among the stars, 1 per- 
ceived a moving liglit such as was carried 
by the Akamerian air-vessels. 

At first 1 did not connect the light with 
any idea of possible rescue; and I wondered 
at the perturbation of the slaves. Then 1 
realized that the light was flying very low 
and was descending straight toward the fire. 
It drew near with meteoric rapidity, till Jos 
Talar and myself and the cowering savages 
were illumined by the full beams of the 
bluish searchlight. The vessel itself, like 
all of its kind, was almost noiseless; and it 
slid to earth and landed with preternatural 
speed and dexterity, within twenty paces of 
the fire. 



S EVERAL men emerged from its dim 
bulk and ran toward us. The slaves 
had loosened their hold on Jos Talar and 
myself; and, growling ferociously, they 
crouched as if ready to leap upon the ad- 
vancing figures. 

The men were all armed with tubular ob- 
jects, which I supposed were the usual eleo- 
tronic projectors. They levelled them at 
the Venusians; and thin rays of flame, like 
those from acetylene torches, issued from 
them and stabbed across the gloom. Several 
of the savages screamed with agony and fell 
writhing to the ground. 

One of them dropped among the coals and 
howled for a few instants like a demon who 
has been taken in some pitfall prepared for 
the damned. The others began to run, but 
were followed by long, slender beams that 
searched them out in their flight, dropping 
several more. Soon the survivors had dis- 
appesued from view in the darkness, and the 
fallen had ceased to writhe. 

As our rescuers approached, and the glow 
of the dying fire illumed their faces, I saw 
that the foremost was Kronous Alkon. Some 
of the others I recognized as scientists whom 
I had met in Djarma. 

Kronous Alkon knelt beside me and sever- 
ed my bonds with a sharp knife, while some 
one else performed a like service for Jos 
Talar. 

“Are you hurt?” asked Kronous. 

“Not severely,” I replied. “But you cer- 
tainly came just in the proverbial nick of 
time. A moment more, and they would have 
thrown us upon the fire. Your coming is a 
miracle — 1 cannot imagine how it happen- 
ed.” 

“That is easily explained,” said Kronous 
as he helped me to my feet. “When you did 
not return this evening, I became alarmed; 
and knowing the usual direction of your 
wanderings, I studied this part of the en- 
virons of Djarma very closely with a noc- 
turnal televisor, which renders plainly visi- 
ble the details of the darkest landscape. 

“I soon located the Venusians and their 
fire and recognized one of the bound figures 
as being yourself. After that, it required 
only a few minutes for me to cdilect several 
cmnpanions, arm them, charter an air-vessel. 



1248 



WONDER STORIES 



and seek the spot indicated by the televisor. 
I am more than thankful that we arrived in 
time. 

“There has been,” he went on, “a world- 
wide revolt of the slaves during the past few 
hours. Two of the continents, Asia and Aus- 
tralia, are already in their hands; and a des- 
perate struggle is going on throughout 
Akameria. We are no longer using the 
electronic projectors, which merely stun. 
The weapons we used tonight are heat-ray 
generators, which kill. But come — we must 
return to Djarma. I will tell you more sif- 
terwards.” 



The Struggle for the World 

O UR flight to Djarma was uneventful; 

and Kronous and I were landed by our 
companions on the roof of the building in 
which we had been housed. Here we said 
good-by to Jos Talar, who went on with the 
rescuing scientists to find certain relatives 
and to learn if possible the late of his fam- 
ily. 

Kronous and I descended to our rooms, 
where we found Altus, who had just arrived 
from the estate. He told us that Oron had 
been killed in a terrific combat with the 
slaves that afternoon. Trogh had mysteri- 
ously disappeared; and Altus himself had 
been compelled to flee in one of the air- 
• vessels belonging to Kronous. A truly hor- 
rible state of affairs. 

My bruised head and lacerated body re- 
quired attention, and Kronous gave me an 
application of the green ray, which marvel- 
lously relieved all my pain and soreness. 
Altus, miraculously, had escaped injury this 
time in his hand-to-hand fighting with the 
slaves. 

We sat for hours while Kronous told us 
the events of the day and while fresh reports 
continued to arrive. The world-situation 
had indeed become serious; and apart from 
the universal revolt of the slaves, many 
new and unlooked-for perils had disclosed 
themselves. 

In the actual conflict the Venusians had 
suffered more heavily than the Terrestrials, 



and thousands of them had been slain and 
others compelled to flee before the superior 
weapons of mankind. But to counterbalance 
this, a number of new and baffling plagues 
had been loosed by the savages, who, it was 
now universally felt, were being assisted 
ii> this regard by the Martians. In the west- 
ern part of Akameria great clouds of a 
vicious and deadly Martian insect had ap- 
peared — an insect which multiplied with the 
most damnable rapidity. 

In other sections gases had been freed in 
the air that were harmless to both Venus- 
ians and Martians but deleterious to human 
beings. Vegetable moulds from Venus, 
which fed like malignant parasites on all 
terrene plant-forms, had also been intro- 
duced in a hundred places; and no one knew 
what else the morrow would reveal in the 
way of extra-plemetary pests and dangers. 
I thought of the prophecy of Jos Talar. 

“At this rate,” said Kronous, “the world 
will soon be rendered uninhabitable for 
man. With our heat-rays and other weapons 
we might wipe out the revolutionists in 
time; but the plagues they have brought in 
are a different problem.” 

There was little sleep for any of us that 
night. We rose at early dawn, to learn the 
appalling news that the whole of Europe 
was now subject to the interplanetary slaves. 
The bacteria of a score of awful Martian 
and Venusian diseases, to which the out- 
siders had developed more or less immun- 
ity, were decimating the human population, 
and those who survived were unable to cope 
with their conquerors. Similar diseases 
were appearing in Akameria; and all the 
other plagues were spreading with malign 
celerity. 

“We must go to my estate immediately 
and retrieve the time machine, which I left in 
the aerodrome,” said Kronous to me. “You 
can then return to your own age — it is not 
fair to ask you to stay longer in a world 
that is nearing ultimate ruin and chaos. 
We, the last remnants of mankind, will fight 
it out as best we can ; but the war is not 
yours.” 

I protested that I had no desire to leave 
him; that I would remain to the end; and 
also that I had implicit faith in the power 



CHAPTER V. 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1249 



of humanity to overcome its extra-terrestrial 
foes. 

Kronous smiled, a little sadly. “Never- 
theless,” he persisted, “we must recover the 
time-machine. Thus your means of escape 
will be assured, no matter what happens. 
Will you go with me? I intend to make 
the trip this very forenoon.” 

Of course, I could not object to this; and 
I was eager to accompany him. Apart from 
any use which I myself might make of it, 
the time-machine was too rare and valua- 
ble a thing to be left at the mercy of Venus- 
ian vandals, who might well destroy it in 
their campaign of nation-wide sabotage. 

K ronous, AUus and myself made the 
brief trip in the same light air-vessel 
that had been used for the journey to 
Djarma. The fertile, luxuriant countryside 
with fronded woods and tall, airy spires of 
embowered mansions above which we had 
flown less than a week before, was now 
patched and blotched with devastation. Many 
of the houses had been gutted by fire; and 
the ravages of the vegetable mould from 
Venus had blighted many fields and forests, 
whose grass and foliage rotted beneath it to 
a nauseous grey slime. 

Approaching the estate of Kronous, we 
saw that we should arrive none too soon. 
The Venusians had fired the house, and even 
their own quarters, and columns of smoke 
were arising from the doomed edifices. A 
dozen slaves were nearing the aerodrome 
with the obvious intention of trying to set 
it on fire, or of destroying or damaging the 
vessels which it contained. 

The features of Kronous were deadly 
pale with anger. He said nothing as he 
steered the atomic monoplane directly to- 
ward the slaves, who had now seen us and 
were running headlong in a futile effort 
to escape. Several of them had been car- 
rying lighted torches, which they now drop- 
ped. We swooped upon them, flying only 
a few feet above the ground in the open 
space that surrounded the aerodrome. 

Two of the slaves were caught and man- 
gled by the sharp prow of the flier; and 
Altus and myself, using heat-ray projectors, 
accounted for five more as we passed them. 



Only three remained; and wheeling the ves- 
sel around in a sharp curve, and steering 
with one hand, Kronous himself despatched 
them with his heat-ray. 

We landed near the entrance of the aeio- 
drome. Kronous went in; and a minute 
later, the time-vessel flew gently forth and 
settled on the platform. Kronous opened 
the door and called to me. 

“You and I, Hugh, will return to Djarma 
in the time-ship; and Altus will take charge 
of the monoplane.” 

No more of the Venusians were in sight; 
though we saw enough of their handiwork 
as we circled above the plantation before 
starting for Djarma. Kronous sighed at the 
ruin that had been wrought, but otherwise 
be gave no evidence of emotion, and main- 
tained a stoical silence. 

Half an hour later we were back in our 
apartments in Djarma; and the time-machine 
was securely housed in an aerodrome near- 
by. Since it had all the appearance of a 
small interplanetary flier, no one but our- 
selves ever dreamt of its real nature and 
use. 

Every hour brought fresh news of the na- 
tional damage inflicted by the planetary 
aliens and their plagues. The Martians had 
now declared opto hostility. Their first 
movement had been to destroy all the human 
embassies and trading-stations on Mars and 
to seize a vast amount of ether-shipping; 
but before these overt actions were gener- 
ally known, they had also assumed the of- 
fensive everywhere on earth. 

They possessed a frightful weapon, the 
zero-ray, which could penetrate animal tis- 
sue in an instant with fatal frost-bite. This 
weapon had been kept a secret; its invention 
and mode of operation were obscure to hu- 
man scientists; and it was no less lethal and 
effective than the heat-ray. A battle was 
now going on in the Martian quarter of 
Djarma; and the Martians were holding 
their own. 

- Air-vessels had tried dropping explosives 
on the quarter; but this was found to be 
more dangerous to humanity than to the 
Martians; for the latter were using some 
sort of unknown ray which detonated the ex- 



1250 



WONDER STORIES 



plosives in mid-air, or even while they were 
still on board the air-vessels. 

The Death of a World 

1 WAS forced to marvel at the equanimity 
shown by the people of Akameria in 
the face of all these dire problems and dan- 
gers. Everywhere, scientists were coolly en- 
deavoring to combat the new pests and were 
seeking to devise more efficacious weapons 
for use against the outsiders. No fear or 
alarm was exhibited by anyone. Probably 
the secret of, this calm, imperturbable atti- 
tude lay in the lofty mental evolution and 
philosophic detachment that had been uni- 
versally attained by the human race thru the 
past ages. 

Knowing how insecure and impermanent 
was their tenure of existence among the in- 
imical forces of the cosmos, men were pre- 
pared to meet their doom with resignation 
and dignity. Also, the race had grown old; 
and many, perhaps, were tired of the quoti- 
dian sameness of life and were ready to wel- 
come anything, no matter how hazardous, in 
the nature of change. 

Djarma was now full of refugees from the 
outlying plantations; and more were arriv- 
ing hourly. But, gazing on the calm, unhur- 
ried throng, no one could have guessed the 
parlousness of the general situation. There 
was no evidence of strife or peril or appre- 
hension; and even the war in the Martian 
quarter was conducted silently, since the 
weapons employed were all noiseless. Some 
of the Martian buildings, however, had been 
fired by heat-rays; and a pall of black smoke 
was rising and mushrooming above the rud- 
dy flames. 

Djarma had suffered less, so far, than 
most of the other Akamerian centers. The 
^whole country was in disorder, and all com- 
munication was becoming seriously derang- 
ed. However, a few hours after the return 
of Kronous, Altus and myself, there came 
from southern Akameria the warning of a 
new and more lethal plague than any which 
had hitherto appeared. 

A tiny Venusian micro-organism, a sort 
of aerial algae, which spread and increased 



with phenomenal celerity, had been turned 
loose and was rendering the air unbreath- 
able for human beings over a veist and 
ever-growing area. It was harmless to the 
Venusians themselves, for the thick, vapor- 
ous air of their native jungles was full of 
it; and though it was deleterious to the 
Martians, the latter had prepared them- 
selves beforehand and were all equipped 
with respiratory masks and atmospheric 
filters. 

But men were dying of slow asphyxiation, 
marked by the most painful pneumonic 
symptoms, wherever overtaken by the 
strange pest. It was visible in the air, 
which displayed a saffron color when in- 
vaded by the organism. For this reason, it 
soon became known as the Yellow Death. 

Beyond the manufacture and distribution 
of air-masks on a large scale, nothing could 
be done by savants to combat the new 
plague. The saffron cloud was rolling 
northward hour by hour — a noiseless and 
irresistible doom; and the situation was in- 
deed desperate. A conclave of scientists 
was called; and it was soon decided that 
humanity must evacuate the regions menaced 
by the dread aerial scourge. The only re- 
source was for men to retreat toward the 
Arctice circle and entrench themselves in 
dominions where the organism could not 
penetrate, since it thrived only in warm, 
tropical air. 

“This,” said Kronous to me, sorrowfully, 
“is a preparatory step toward our final 
abandonment of the earth. The planetary 
aliens have conquered, as I knew they would. 
The cycle of human domination has com- 
pleted itself; and the future belongs to the 
Venusians and Martians. I venture to pre- 
dict, however, that the Martians will soon 
enslave the Venusians and rule them with 
a far stricter hand than we humans.” 

He went on. “Hugh, the hour of our 
parting will soon arrive. You could leave 
us at any rate, as you know; but perhaps 
you will wish to see the drama to its end.” 

I pressed his hand but could say nothing. 
There was a tragic pathos in the swift doom 
which threatened the final remnant of the 
race. Remote and alien as these people 



AN ADVENTURE IN FUTURITY 



1251 



were in many of their customs and ideas 
and feelings, they were still human. I ad- 
mired their stoical courage in the face of 
irretrievable disaster; and for Kronous him- 
self, after our long association and mutual 
vicissitudes, I had conceived a real affection. 

A ll of Djariiia was now astir with pre- 
parations for the northward flight 
Every air-vessel or space-craft available was 
mustered for use; and more were being 
built with miraculous expedition. There 
were great air-liners and freighters in which 
personal belongings, food-supplies and lab- 
oratory equipment were transported ; and the 
skies were thronged with their departure and 
their return for new cargoes. Perfect order 
and organization prevailed, and there was 
no trace of hurry or confusion anywhere. 

Kronous, Altus and myself were among 
the last to leave. An immense bank of 
smoke was looming above the Martian quar- 
ter, and the weird, hydrocephalous inhabi- 
tants were being driven forth by the flames 
and were invading the deserted streets of 
the human section when we rose above the 
city in the time-vessel and steered north- 
ward. Far to the south, we could see a 
saffron cloud that had covered the horizon 
—the micro-organic plague that was smoth- 
ering the whole of Akameria. 

Beneath the guidance of Kronous, our ves- 
sel rose to a lofty elevation where more than 
tbr ordinary atmospheric speed was possible. 
Flying at seven hundred miles per hour, we 
soon neared the realms of perpetual winter 
and saw the sheeted ice of the polar regions 
glittering far below us. 

Here humanity had already entrenched 
itself; and whole cities were being reared 
as if by magic amid the eternal wastes of 
snow. Laboratories and foundries were 
erected, where synthetic foods and fabrics 
and metals were prepared in immense quan- 
tities. The polar domains, however, were 
too inhospitable, and the climate too rigor- 
ous for a warmth-loving race, to form more 
than a way-station in the flight of humanity. 

It was decided that the larger asteroids, 
which had long been successfully colonized 
by man, would form the most suitable cosmic 



refuge. A great fleet of space-vessels was 
soon assembled in readiness for departure; 
more were built amid the ice and snow; and 
each day was marked by the arrival of ships 
from mid-ether, plying among the planets, 
which had been warned by radio of existing 
terrestrial conditions and had come to as- 
sist in the universal Hegira. 

In those days, before the ultimate fare- 
well, I came to know Kronous better than at 
any previous time. His altruism and im- 
perturbable fortitude aroused my deepest 
admiration. Of course he had cast in his 
lot with the people of his own era, and offi- 
cial posts on one of the ether-liners had 
already been assigned to Altus and himself. 
Those who displayed any interest in the 
matter were informed by Kronous that I, 
Himo Paskon, intended to return alone in 
a small ether-vessel to Pallas, my supposedly 
natal asteroid. Even between ourselves, we 
seldom mentioned the real nature of my 
journey. 

. Kronous gave me careful instruction re- 
garding the mechanism, both spatial and 
chronological, of the time-machine; but to 
avoid any error, he himself arranged all 
the controls in preparation for my flight 
through backward time. All that I would 
have to do was to turn on the power of the 
cosmic rays; and the machine would land 
me in 1930. Then after it landed, an auto- 
matic device would shoot it back to his own 
day. 

The day of departure came, when vessels 
were ready for the inter-cosmic transporta- 
tion of the world’s remaining people. It 
was an awful and solemn moment. Ship by 
ship and fleet by fleet, from the ice-founded 
platforms on which they had been resting, 
the long bulks of glittering metal soared 
upon the Aurora Borealis and disappeared 
in the chill, dreadful gulfs of outer space. 
The ship to which Kronous had been assign- 
ed was one of the last to leave; and he and 
I stood for a long while beside the time- 
vessel and watched the soaring of those 
skyward flocks. Altus had already said 
farewell to me and had gone aboard the 
great ether-liner. 

{Continued on Page 1328) 



The Sargasso Monster 




He sent it up through the skylight into the mouth of the monster. 
Another . . . and another . . . 



F or the tenth time within an hour and a 
half, the pilot of the Tilden Twin 
amphibian reached for the radio-telephone 
and called the Bermuda station, and for the 
tenth time he placed the ’phone back on the 
hook and sat there staring almost frantically 
before him. Something had gone wrong 
with the radio. As the plane moved slowly 
north he had been trying for almost two 
hours to pick up Bermuda over the nose. The 
compass indicator needle said so. The gaso- 
line left in his tank said so; it was only a 
matter of a few minutes until the last drop 
of the precious stuff would ooze through the 
lines to the carburetors of the two singing 



Rickman-Conroff Hummingbirds. Then they 
would settle through the cushioning trop- 
ical atmosphere down to the surface, to drift 
there until aid reached them. That would 
be a gamble, since the radio was out. 

Campbell’s eyes took in all the instru- 
ments. They rested on that compass before 
him. It wabbled, suddenly. Yet the plane 
did not turn. She rode evenly, smoothly, 
through the air, like an ocean liner on a 
glassy sea. Over his shoulder he saw one 
of the seven passengers rise and go aft. 
Then the needle turned again, righted itself. 

The pilot started up at the man. A hun- 
dred thoughts rushed through his mind. His 
1252 





THE SARGASSO MONSTER 



1253 



|aw set. There was something familiar 
about the passenger. Campbell had seen 
him somewhere before. Could he be one 
ot the spies of the company’s rival? Any- 
thing to play hell with the Tilden liners. 

Two of the ships had been thrown off 
their course that way, had drifted at sea for 
days and days while patrol boats hunted for 
them. This would be the third within a 
week. Demoralization. Yet Campbell, or 
any of the others, for that matter, could 
prove nothing. Hard 
luck, the company 
heads had admitted. 

But the pilot of the 
Bolivar believed differ- 
ently, now. He was al- 
most certain of him- 
self. Yet it was too 
late to do anything 
about it. He was over 
the Sargasso,* already. 

Too late had he asked 
the compass station for 
his bearings, for he 
had not suspected any- 
thing. The amphibian 
had been flying 
smoothly. He had 
been trying to pick up 
the ^orefor two hours. 

And now the passen- 
gers were looking at 
him inquiringly. OneoP 
them, a girl, young and 
slender, found her way 
up to his side and ask- 
ed, “Aren’t we off the 
course. Captain?” 

He looked upon the 
brown mass that fring- 
ed out into the blue off 
there before him. Then 
his eyes wandered to hers, for the second 
time that day — the first time had been at 
Rio — and he said evenly, “Compass hay- 
wire.” His voice lowered as he saw that 
she took it calmly. “Help me keep up the 
morale of the passengers — we’ll get out 
O.K.” 



great floating sea of dense weeds in the North 
Atlantic between 16* and 36* N, and 30* and 50* West. 



“I’ll do all I can,” she answered simply. 
She asked no further questions. Like a 
thoroughbred, she walked gallantly back 
down the aisle, giving the questioning fel- 
low passengers an answer that apparently 
satisfied them. 

Then the two Rickman-Conroff Humming- 
birds coughed and their steady drone died 
down to a despairing wheeze. Campbell 
pulled back on the wheel and held the big 
plane at the stalling point. He picked up 
the transmitter and 
called shore. It didn't 
answer. He tried it 
again. Nothing more 
than the rattling buzz 
of his own generator 
unit greeted his ears. 
He slammed the trans- 
mittter down and look- 
ed to his plane. 

He was gliding swift- 
ly through the light 
mist that hung like a 
veil over the mysteri- 
ous Sargasso. He could 
see only the long ex- 
panse of seaweed, with 
an occasional break of 
blue where the weed 
did not cover the sur- 
face. He turned the 
nose of the plane to- 
ward a likely looking 
spot and drifted gently 
down to it. Soon the 
spray was fountaining 
about the plane and 
she was checking 
speed. 

The Bolivar, of the 
Tilden Airlines, was 
down in the Sargasso, 
out of gasoline, and her radio transmitter 
out of order. 

C APTAIN CAMPBELL waited until the 
plane came to a stop on the surface. 
Then he turned to look squarely, accusing- 
ly the man who bad returned to the front 
seat. His eyes blazed on the suspected 
man’s hands, which went to the pockets of 



^ JF there is anything 

airplane is doing for us, 
it is opening up to our in- 
spection parts of the world 
that had remained previ- 
ously unknown. The map- 
ping of ancient Mayan 
cities from the air is but 
one example of the vast 
new fields of research and 
study made possible by 
man’s new vehicle for 
transportation. 

It is quite possible that 
in isolated parts of the 
globe, the course of evolu- 
iion of living things may 
have been far different 
than anything we know of. 
And that very matter of 
isolation had, previous to 
the airplane, prevented us 
from learning about them. 
But now new wonders will 
open to us. 

Mr. Newton uses as his 
theme the mysteries of the 
little known Sargasso Sea, 
and he constructs a thrill- 
ing, chilling story of mys- 
tery, intrigue and adven- 
^ture. 



12S4 



WONDER STORIES 



for “doctoring” a plane. Paid by the rivals. 
He started forward again. The girl stopped 
him. 

“That man up forward has been acting 
queerly all slong the trip,” she whispered, 
while the elderly lady at her side likened 
closely to gather what was being said. “He 
went back there several times. The last 
time he dropped a pair of pliers. He started 
to pick them up when he saw me looking 
at him, so he returned to his seat. Just 
now he threw something out of the window. 
It looked like a ring of. iron.” 

“A magnet!” said Captain Campbell. 
“I’m not sure,” said the girl. But Camp* 
hell did not hear her. His hand suddenly 
shot under his thin coat 
and whipped out with an 
automatic, thinking to ar- 
rest the man and put him 
in confinement without 
any argument. But Bun- 
yan turned as suddenly 
as he, and there was a 
gun in his own unsteady 
hand. Campbell leaped 
aside and a shot rang out. 
The passengers dropped 
down between the seats. 
The elderly lady fainted. 
The girl did not scream. 
Then the pilot’s gun went 
into action. But already 
a bullet had torn along 
EDSEL newton his wrist, cutting and 

burning deep into the 
flesh. Three times his gun blazed. Bimyan 
lay still, forward of the front seat. 




a sport coat, and the pockets bulged threat- 
eningly. 

Campbell had to admit to himself that he 
knew nothing yet, that he had no real 
grounds to accuse the man of anything. Yet 
the passenger’s eyes avoided his. Campbell 
got to his feet, revealing six feet of lithe 
youth in a neat uniform. His first thought 
was of his passengers. 

“We have been thrown off our course. 
Something went wrong with the compass,” 
he began. “It should not be long before 
we are rescued. In the meantime, there is 
little danger. We are out of gasoline. I 
shall repair the radio and get in touch with 
shore.” 

They plied him with 
questions, which he an- 
swered as best he could. 

On his way back to the 
rear, he saw the girl com- 
forting an elderly lady 
who had receded into the 
cushions of the seat and 
started weeping. The girl 
gave him a trusting look 
and he smiled. 

He stopped before the 
water fountain where the 
man had gone for a 
drink. Glancing beneath 
it, he saw a pair'of com- 
mon wire cutters lying 
there, and he also ob- 
served the counterpoise 
aerial that he used for 
transmitting messages had been torn away. 
He thought of connecting the transmitter to 
the receiving aerial, but upon examining the 
conduit that had contained the wires he saw 
that they had been ripped out. 

His body came to a standing position. 
He whirled to see the man in the front seat 
suddenly turn from watching him. Then it 
occurred to him that he had not yet looked 
over the passenger list to see who the man 
was. He took a card from his pocket and 
checked it. Of the four men and three 
women aboard — a scanty list, to say the 
least — he determined the man was Bimyan. 
His jaw snapped when he saw the name. 
The Tilden lines had once discharged him 



T here was a sudden scurrying of pas- 
sengers as the pilot-captain started 
forward. They leaped from their seats, men 
and women, and ran aft. Just then Camp- 
bell sensed danger. But before he could 
move to a position of vantage, Bunyan’s 
gun barked again. A bullet stung Camp- 
bell’s side as he darted between the seats. 
Then Bunyan emptied his automatic. Camp- 
bell heard the familiar click after the last 
bullet had been spent. He Jeaped from his 
kneeling position and ran forward. He 
was upon Bunyan in an instant. 



THE SARGASSO MONSTER 



1255 



His bands gripped the vandal’s arms like 
the talons of an eagle. He threw all his 
weight upon the man, bearing him down 
upon the seat. Runyan’s knee came up and 
dealt him a fierce blow in the groin. It 
stunned the captain for a moment, with a 
terrifying pain. Yet he managed to deal 
a fierce blow upon Runyan’s face. He had 
all but subdued his man when there came 
a terrifying scream. He lifted himself up 
to follow the eyes of his passengers who 
were staring out the windows. He relaxed 
his grip upon Runyan and leaped for the 
steering wheel. 

The plane was being carried along in a 
swift current, through a channel of the 
dreadful Sargasso. Yet nothing he could do 
would check its speed. He kicked the rud- 
der, hoping to turn the nose of the plane 
into the seaweed on either side of the chan- 
nel. Rut the plane did not respond. In- 
stead, the current swept them along with 
ever increasing speed. 

They were as helpless as if they had b^en 
ill a canoe without a paddle. 

Campbell called to the passengers, “Some 
of you come forward and give me a hand!” 

The three men passengers besides Runyan 
started toward the captain’s cockpit, but a 
nasal voice ordered them to halt. It was 
Runyan, who, automatic in hand, stood 
against the panel between the captain and 
his passengers. He had Campbell’s gun, 
too. 

“Rut we want to hoist the outboard motor 
into place!” said Campbell. “What do you 
mean, anyway?” 

“A lot of Jielp that outboard motor will 
be with no fuel!” snapped Runyan. “We’re 
going to stick it out, Campbell, including 
the ladies. Tilden paid me to check on you, 
and I’m on the job.” 

“That’s a lie!” said Campbell. “Old man 
Tilden is the squarest shooter that ever liv- 
ed You’re working with that Inter-Con- 
tinental gang, Runyan. You’re a pirate. 
You’re trying to demoralize my passengers, 
to make them think I’m incompetent. The 
rotten literature your outfit distributed 
around Ruenos Aires and New York didn’t 
work, at least not altogether. We still get 



a few passengers, and weYe going to pro- 
tect them.” 

“Thai’s strong talk, Campbell, but it wont 
get you anywhere,” answered Runyan, a 
sneer on his lips. His eyes were bloodshot 
from the scuffle of a few minutes before. 
He raised the gun and pointed it at the de- 
fenseless pilot. Refore Campbell could 
duck there came a deafening roar, then an- 
other .... 

CHAPTER II. 

In the Maelstrom! 

(( r ¥ E didn’t hit you that time?” he heard 

I. Jl the girl ask as he opened his eyes 
to see her bending over him. He was lying 
across one of the wide seats, and she had 
been washing his face- with cold water. 

“I don’t think so,” he said, blinking. “It 
was the one that hit me a few minutes ago. 
Rroke a rib, I think. I’ll be O.K. What 
happened?” 

“This little lady put him out of business 
with a little pearl handled .22” said one of 
the three men who were looking on. “When 
the maniac started to shoot she simply let 
him have a dose of his own medicine.” 

Campbell rose to a sitting position to see 
his enemy sitting across the aisle, bound 
hand and foot. A bandage encircled his 
bead. His sullen face scowled when Camp- 
bell arose and started toward him. Rut the 
Captain stopped, suddenly, and said,. “I’ll 
handle you later, Runyan. Rut if you don’t 
tell me where the wires you pulled from the 
conduit are. I’ll choke you to death.” He 
stepped forward again, his fingers bent as 
if ready to clutch the neck of the vandal. 

“They’re back there somewhere in the 
ocean,” said Runyan wincing. 

The passengers gasped. Anger beyond 
words welled up in the captain. Yet he 
held himself in check, and he said, “Runyan, 
I’ll make you pay for this if it’s the last 
thing I ever do.” 

With that he turned to look out the win- 
dow. The horrified eyes of the passengers 
were already taking in the situation. The 
plane was being carried along at terrific 



1256 



WONDER STORIES 



speed, and a tailwind was blowing down 
upon her. 

Campbell hurried forward. He unlocked 
a box in the cockpit and began looking 
around for spare pieces of wire. But to no 
avail. He finally gave it up and turned to 
give the steering wheel another last despair- 
ing turn. The plane did not respond. He 
swore under his breath and started to open 
the window before him. The wounded arm 
pained as he held it up and he winced. Then 
a pair of feminine hands reached forth and 
raised the gleiss. 

“Thanks,” he said, looking around at the 
girl. She stood close to him like a guar- 
dian angel. “And thanks for saving my 
life,” he continued. 

She sighed heavily. “I couldn’t have 
done anything else. It was the most cow- 
ardly thing in thei world. One of the men 
is a doctor. He’ll dress your wounds.” 

“But we’ve got to stop this drift,” he ex- 
plained. “If we could manage to nose the 
ship around into the seaweed we’d have a 
chance. As it is, God only knows where 
we’ll end up. I never knew there was 
such a thing.” He indicated the seemingly 
endless channel that cut through the sea- 
weed before them. The growth on either 
side was becoming thicker and thicker. 

“But you can’t stop a heavy ship like 
this, surely — in so swift a current.” 

They stood looking at each other. Some- 
thing about her thrilled the captain. It 
must have been her pluck. She wasn’t too 
timid to shoot a murderer. She wasn’t 
afraid of wherever they were going. 

“You aren’t afraid of anything!” he said. 
“What’s your name?” 

T he straightforward manner of the cap- 
tain brought a smile from the girl. 
She held out her hand. 

“A physical coward is generally a moral 
coward, Captain Campbell. The name is 
Rickman.” 

“You astound me!” he exclaimed. “I’ll 
bet my wings you’re' Marcine Rickman!” 

She nodded. “My father designed those 
two motors out there,” pointi;^ to the great 
pair of Hummingbirds that hung forward. 
“But they won’t run without gasoline!” 



“Hardly!” he laughed. “Well, we’ve got 
to think up some way of getting out of 
this.” He started to climb up the steps to 
the deck on the bow. She assisted him, for 
he was obviously weak from loss of blood. 
One of the men had wrapped a handkerchief 
around his wrist to stop the flow from the 
deep wound therein. That was perhaps 
all that saved him. 

As they reached the deck, the girl started 
suddenly and gasped. He followed her star- 
ing eyes ahead of them. They were bearing 
down upon a whirlpool, a literal maelstrom. 
The channel widened about it. It swirled 
threateningly, carrying with it bits of sea- 
week and debris. Even in this twilight hour 
he could see it whirling like a gigantic ani- 
mal, waiting there to take the great plane 
in its grasp and pull it down into the depths 
of the sea. And here even the wind seemed 
to give way to the rush of the water. 

There was no longer the singing sound 
in the struts and braces. Only the lash of 
the eddying current broke the silence. Be- 
fore they could dash below and close the 
hatch, the plane had nosed into it. Pan- 
demonium broke loose among the passen- 
gers, the elderly lady and another woman 
screaming. 

The three men sat pale-faced and helpless. 
Bunyan sneered and laughed in turn. And 
while the captain and the girl stood there 
before them, the swirling eddy took hold 
of the plane. As the screams of the two 
women reached their highest pitch, some- 
thing above them shattered into a wing, 
broke through, and came crashing down 
upon the top of the cabin. It was a moment 
when all were lost, when only the miracle of 
an unforeseen providence could help them. 

“Here, you men! Jump there and close 
the ports!” Captain Campbell barked, as 
he himself began closing the windows for- 
ward. “Every one of you sit tight — ” He 
saw the girl as she was pitched across the 
cabin. Others followed her. 

He had held to the top of the seat when 
the eddy turned the ship about. Now he too 
was lying sprawled upon the deck. Before 
he could rise and assist Marcine and the 
other two women, he was against hurled 
downward, this time to lie still, until the 



THE SARGASSO MONSTER 



1257 



movement of the plane pitched him forward 
among the terrified passengers. Before he 
could get to his feet again, the plane was 
standing on her nose, and they were all 
thrown together before the door that opened 
into the cockpit. 

Campbell made a desperate plunge for a 
stanchion, caught it on the swing as the 
plane reeled to port, wrapped his feet about 
it, and reached for Marcine. Her hands 
were outstretched to receive his. He pulled 
her toward him. She grasped the stanchion 
and held on. He then dived for a seat, 
reached it, and pulled her after him. While' 
the plane was steady for a moment he 
strapped her in. Thfen he picked the elderly 
lady from the deck and did likewise with 
her. One of the men managed to place the 
other woman in a seat. Then when the wo- 
men were assured the maximum of safety, 
the men sought their own seats, gaining them 
only by leaps when there came a lull in that 
everlasting tossing and pitching. But it did 
not last for long. As darkness fell upon the 
plane only hopeless despair prevailed in 
their spirits. Yet the girl smiled when Cap- 
tain Campbell looked anxiously in her di- 
rection. 

The maelstrom was tossing them around 
now, its whirl increasing in speed as the 
plane was pulled toward the ;^ortex. In 
that awful spiral the great amphibian was 
twisted about, now on her nose, now on her 
side, with her wing down in the wash, and 
again with her gallant bows in the air like 
a whale leaping to the surface. It would 
be a matter of only a few minutes, the cap- 
tain thought. He might have had a chance 
to save his passengers but for the crafty 
Bunyan, who, by all the laws of all the 
lands, was a pirate. 

H IS company had sought at great risk to 
disable the Tilden line. It had begun 
by placing Bunyan in their employ in the 
early days of the line, when Lawrence Tilden 
had sent the first big twin amphibians south- 
ward on the trade routes between North and 
South America. Bunyan had been a 
traitor; though he had failed in an effort 
to wreck the first Twin that went out on 
the long trek to the lands beyond the equator. 



For two years Bunyan had waited. Then 
something seemed to have struck every 
Tilden plane on the line. He remembered 
now, how Jimmy Trevelyn was lost, and 
turned up six days later to say that a little 
two-seater had come to take a single one 
of his passengers off the disabled plane there 
in the Caribbean, leaving a dozen more 
starving passengers staring at the fortunate 
man for whom the plane had come. And 
Jimmy’s radio had been disabled. 

Well, there was one thing for which Cap- 
tain Campbell could be thankful. Bunyan 
would share the fate of the rest, whatever 
it was. And it seemed certain that it would 
be terrible. Perhaps the bottom of the 
sea .... 

The captain started and looked at the girl. 
Her eyes were burning into his, as if she 
wanted to say something to him. He went 
to her side, risking being thrown against 
the deck or overhead, and while he braced 
himself to look down into her appealing 
face she still smiled. There was nothing to 
be said. This was one of those unearthly 
moments when conversation was out. But as 
far as that went the girl told him all with 
her eyes. She was telling him that she ad- 
mired him for having done his best to avoid 
the disaster, that she was not afraid, that 
they would be together wherever they went. 

But the swirl of the vortex did not take 
them down. By a miracle, just as they 
gained speed a wind caught the plane and 
lifted it up. It seemed to tremble unstead- 
ily for a moment, nose upward slightly, 
and drift back under the pressure of a 
sudden gust. 

.The amphibian landed tail down with a 
resounding smack, and lay quite stil| upon 
the southermost side of the open channel, 
beyond the vortex, beyond the rushing cur- 
rent, and beyond human aid. 

Again the wind took her and tossed her 
about. It screamed down upon them, as 
Captain Campbell made an effort to open 
the forward hatch and go out on the deck, 
and shook the amphibian from nose to tail. 
It blasted against the helpless plane until 
it had to move and then carried it along with 
ease across the darkened mass of brown, 
finally landing it nose downward into some- 



1258 



WONDER STORIES 



thing that gave enough to prevent a crash. 
Even then soifiething crackled and broke 
until the strain, and the great plane seemed 
to fall upon its side. It righted itself when 
it struck the soft bed of weeds, and at last 
lay still there in the dark night, while the 
fierce tropical wind howled about them. 

CHAPTER III. 

The Continent of Seaweed 

T hey remained awake almost all the 
night. The women did not sleep. Two 
of the men dozed. The others, including 
the captain and Marcine Rickman, probed 
the darkness beyond" the windows. But it 
was useless. The sky overhead was inky. 
Even Campbell’s penetrating flashlight re- 
vealed nothing more than a wide cushion of 
seaweed. The stuff had grown so thick that 
it could have supported a ship. It had drift- 
ed together at the edge of the whirlpool, 
thrown clear, and accumulated. 

Campbell searched the plane for wire, 
with which he hoped to repair the radio, 
the new sleeping Bunyan had wrecked. But 
he found that every piece of wire had been 
pulled from the conduit. The cables in the 
steering apparatus wouldn’t work. They 
were of common wire. Even then, he dis- 
covered that all the aerial wire in the world 
wouldn’t help them. In the fall of the plane 
against the seaweed, a strut had broken 
through the forward end of the cabin, just 
above the water line, and torn away the 
transmitter. What a complete misfortune! 
A few hours before they had been flying 
safely. Now they were cut off from com- 
munication with the civilized world, lying 
on a bank of seaweed in the mysterious Sar- 
gasso, in the dead of th& night. 

“It looks like a diet of seaweed. Cap- 
tain!” 

Campbell, startled, looked again at the 
girl. 

“Oh, I forgot. We can have some sand- 
wiches. They’re in the buffet — already pre- 
pared. There’s cofi^ee, too.” 

“That’s luck,” she said, turning aft to get 
them. While Campbell flashed his light 
through the (inky darkness to determine 



whether the motors were still holding, she 
served the other passengers with food. She 
brought delicate portions forward, and they 
sat side by side in the pilot’s seat eating 
them. Her presence seemed to assure the 
captain that he would come through. Yet 
when he realized the apparent hopelessness 
of the situation he shuddered. He marveled 
that even the women could sleep. But Mar- 
cine herself was soon dozing. 

He woke with the sun in his face, streak- 
ing through the window at his left. His 
right arm was around the girl’s shoulder. 
He withdrew it when he heard footsteps 
back of the curtain in the main cabin. Two 
of tbe men were pacing back and forth, their 
faces white and unshaven, a worried look 
in their bloodshot eyes. 

Campbell rose and looked over the bow. 
And utterly strange sight met his eyes. He 
gave a startled gasp that aroused the girl, 
so that she too stood up and looked. They 
were on an island of seaweed. It piled up 
in mounds and cliffs as far as they could 
see. It steamed like the jungle they had 
seen when flying over Brazil. And it was 
silent like a Pleistocene swamp — silent and 
dead. 

“At least we aren’t sunk!” exclaimed 
Marcine, as if this were a commonplace ad- 
venture. 

Campbell lost all sense of anxiety then, 
save for the immediate comfort of his pas- 
sengers. 

“We’ll come out,” he said. “Will you 
continue to help me with the passengers? 
You know, even those men are frightened 
out of their wits.” 

“You forget the passengers!” she laughed. 
“I found some more excellent emergency 
rations in the buffet, and there’s water 
enough to last awhile. While you’re explor- 
ing the surrounding country I’ll prepare 
breakfast.” She turned suddenly and went 
aft, leaving him staring across the wastes, 
of sea weed. A literal continent of it. 

H e was inspecting the broken radio trans- 
mitter when she came with his break- 
fast. After drinking the coffee, which was 
excellent, he looked aft. All the passengers 
were silent Unlike most crowds in a crisis, 



THE SARGASSO MONSTER 



1259 



they did not talk of their troubles. The 
men scowled at Runyan. One of them, Car- 
ter of the Metropolitan and International 
Bank, threatened to smash Runyan’s face 
after having taken the thongs off his legs and 
wrists. Thomason and Mills, the other two, 
were chatting with the two woman, the elder- 
ly lady and the middle-aged woman who had 
screamed^ so loudly. 

When the captain went back into the 
cabin they all looked up, as if they expected 
him to work some sort of a miracle and 
take them on to their destination. He tried 
to smile at them, but he could not bring 
himself to meet their tragic stare. While he 
stood there, they began to venture timid 
questions. 

“I’ll be frank with you people,” he said 
finally. “I know no more than you do. The 
radio is out. It is doubtful that we’ll be 
able to get out of this mess without outside 
help. "The left wing, as you see, is crum- 
pled. It’s fortunate that the cabin is left 
intact. We’ll have to work together and 
make the best of it. I’m going to explore 
the surroundings. If you wish, two of you 
may follow me. The others will remain 
aboard.” 

Thomason and Carter rose to their feet 
and stepped forward. The banker, handed 
Campbell one of the pistols he had taken 
from Runyan, which the captain pocketed, 
glancing sidewise at his enemy. 

“There won’t be any plane to come out 
and pick you up, leaving the rest of us to 
drift,” the captain told him. “If you had 
one following us, its pilot was too yellow 
to set down where we did.” 

With that, the captain, followed by the 
two men, turned and climbed through the 
hatch. But out on deck, he thought of Mar- 
cine. He had not seen her inside the cabin 
after breakfast. Hurrying back down the 
steps he called for her. 

“The young lady went outside while you 
were talking to us,” said Mills. 

Campbell turned on his heel and ran back 
t> the bow. He told Thomason and Carter 
of Marcine’s disappearance. The three of 
them leaped to the matted seaweed and 
started off at a run toward the mounds that 
lay before them, Campbell searching for 



traces of her footsteps. But so tangled was 
the mass that he could distinguish noth- 
ing. 

The three halted when they came around 
the second mound and listened. Campbell 
yelled the girl’s name. They waited, but 
there came no answer to their calls, only 
the scurrying of several strange reptile-like 
monsters broke the silence that hung over 
them. 

An iguana, the size of a Florida alligator, 
lay blinking at them from one of the 
smaller mounds. A'giant sea turtle, twenty 
feet across, with a head over three feet in 
diameter, advanced toward them. Its great 
soft body ambled over the tangled weed. 
Even three shots from Campbell’s automatic 
did not stop the turtle. Thinking to save 
their ammunition, the men hurried on. But 
ere they had advanced twenty yards they 
were stopped suddenly by a woman’s 
scream which came from ahead of them. 
Then shots rang out and all was silent once 
more. 

The Sargasso Monster 

C AMPBELL ran forward and topped an- 
other mound of seaweed. From there 
he looked southward. On the top of another 
mound he saw the girl and called to her. 
She did not answer. Instead, she leveled 
her gun at something below her and pumped 
several shots at it. She screamed again as 
he darted forward. Dashing ahead, Camp- 
bell came upon the mound just as she finish- 
ed emptying the .22 again. She turned 
like a helpless child and ran to him. As 
he caught her up, she looked over his shoul- 
der and screamed again. He turned and 
what he saw chilled his blod and froze him 
to inaction. 

It was a nightmarish monster, seventy 
feet long and built like an eel. Its huge 
mouth could easily have swallowed five men 
at once. And it was emerging from the 
slimy depths of a swamp and encircling the 
mound. Thomason and Carter also froze 
when they saw it. Their advance was cut 
off by its threatening jaws. It raised its 
head toward Campbell and Marclne and 
came slowly toward them. 



1260 



WONDER STORIES 



In an instant, Campbell reloaded his au- 
tomatic and leveled it at the monster. Three 
shots seemed to take no great effect. In 
fact they only antagonized the thing. Its 
tail, which was blunt' and almost as big 
a^und as its body, came swishing out of the 
slime. The monstrous jaws were open, and 
it was not more than fifteen feet from them. 
Before Campbell chanced another shot, the 
automatic that Marcine had now reloaded 
came into play. Then what happened amaz- 
ed the captain. 

The plucky girl had shot the monster’s 
eyes out! 

He leveled his own gun down upon the 
same spots, sending shot after shot from his 
heavy .44 into the thing’s mouth and to a 
tiny round bump on the top of its head. 
But those immense slimy jaws were coming 
down upon them. 

They backed off the other side of the 
mound together, leaped sideways just in time 
to avoid a brush of its heavy tail, and scur- 
ried to cover behind another mound, leav- 
ing Thomason and Carter to shift for them- 
selves. More shots rang out, presumably 
from the banker’s gun. There was a terri- 
fying yell. It died suddenly. 

“We’ve got to watch our step,” said Camp- 
bell calmly. “Let’s make our way back to 
the plane.” 

“But it’s on the end of a peninsula and 
we’re cut off by that thing,” objected Mar- 
cine, loading her automatic with deft fingers. 

Campbell pushed up thd side of another 
mound. From its top they could see Carter 
making his way back to the plane. Thomason 
was not in sight. 

“What could have happened to him?” 
said the pilot. The girl groaned and point- 
ed to a spot just behind the retreating Car- 
ter, where a giant turtle was struggling 
with something in its jaws. They turned 
their eyes, terrified beyond speech. 

“Why couldn’t that have been Bunyan?” 
thought the pilot, shuddering because he 
could not avoid it. Marcine was clinging 
to his arm, sobbing hysterically. Together 
they found the power to turn and look again. 
Carter had disappeared over a mound in 
the direction of the plane. The turtle lay 
still. Their eyes followed the ground over 



which they had escaped the terrible jaws 
of the Sargasso monster. It lay very still, 
its head upon the mound. From the relaxed 
position of its body, Campbell concluded it 
was dead. Taking Marcine silently by the 
arm he suggested that they return immedi- 
ately to the plane. ^ 

B ut before they had gone terraces a 
new horror gripped them. What they 
saw as they came upon a new mound of sea- 
weed struck terror to their souls and sent 
their blood running cold. Their senses 
reeled and they stood there frozen to the 
spot. 

An animal of such proportions that the 
largest African elephant would have looked 
like a pigmy at its side was slowly creeping 
up from the slime of a nearby marsh. If 
it was a saurian it was of a species differ- 
ent from anything in the records of any 
museum of natural history or archaeological 
research. It was oVer a hundred feet in 
length, and lay like a huge worm, a great, 
leather-like, bloated, beastly thing with a 
head slightly smaller than its body and eyes 
that glared out from the great sockets. 

Only one thing the captain had ever seen 
could have so reminded him of its shape was 
a long, flexible sausage, save for the head 
and the mouth, which was round and so 
big' that it could have swallowed the two 
of them without the slightest effort. Even 
as they watched, one of the great sea lizards 
that resembled an iguana darted by and 
was quickly covered by the cup'-like lips of 
the monster. 

And while the victim uttered a piercing 
scream, much like a captured rabbit, only 
louder — much louder — it was drawn into the 
jaws of the monster and swallowed. 

The thing gulped with a satisfying blink 
of its hideous eyes, and then advanced upon 
them. 

Marcine screamed. Campbell steadied her 
and looked around. Behind them, in the op- 
posite direction from the plane, was only 
the waste of the Sargasso. There might be 
waiting for them there terrors far greater 
than those they had already experienced. 
But he must take a gamble with fate. 
Speaking as calmly as possible as they 



THE SARGASSO MONSTER 



1261 



Lurried back down the mound, he said, 
“Steady, Marcine! WeTl find our way out 
over there, ahead of us.” 

He was pointing to the southeast. He did 
not realize that something unexpected await- 
ed them just over the next jnound. And the 
monster was coming toward them, slowly 
emerging from the marsh and revealing sev- 
eral fin-like feet that slapped against the 
weed with each lumbering step. They gain- 
ed the top of the largest mound in the vicin- 
ity, stopped a minute to look around at the 
advancing monster, which was over two hun- 
dred yards away, and then started on down 
the slope. They stopped suddenly as if 
they had confronted a brick wall and looked 
with stark amazement at the sight before 
them. 

CHAPTER IV. 

A World of Monstrosities 

B efore the pair on the mound was 
stretched a level plain that reached out 
to the horizon and probably beyond, a lit- 
eral island of seaweed, thrown up here hy 
the numerous whirlpools and decayed as the 
years fled. On either side of the island were 
tangled masses of the weed, reaching out 
into the sea, but apparently always thrown 
back to the main mass by the tides and the 
currents that rushed toward the different 
whirlpools about it. Vegetation grew here, 
much as that of the Amazon valley. A few 
palms dotted the landscape. A myriad of 
colours told of flowers in profusion. 

Great flocks of birds lifted from the 
ground near Campbell and Marcine, and 
fluttered into the sky and off with the wind 
to the opposite shore. But what struck them 
most at this moment were the thousand 
round-shaped objects that rolledj about the 
surface of the water at the edge of the is- 
land, some of them being thrown ashore by 
the tide, others rolling across the island as 
if propelled by the wind. Yet no wind was 
blowing. 

They did not stop long to view the strange 
land. That hideous monster was behind 
them. It had gained and was now only a 
hundred yards behind them. Its great bulk 



loomed up over the mound. Now its huge 
cup-like lips were extended and it was puff- 
ing as if from exertion. The two ran down 
the hill before them, reaching the level 
ground just as the monster .gained the top. 
They kept fleeing, not daring to waste a 
minute or a single breath in speech. Yet 
when Marcine chanced a glance backward 
she screamed hysterically and pointed. Even 
while gathering her limp body into his 
arms, Campbell saw that the thing had 
turned sidewise, was beginning to roll down 
toward them! His own sense of action left 
him for a second. His brain failed him. His 
memory was gone. He was stunned to in- 
sensibility, yet that powerful something that 
lies deep down in the being of a man caused 
him to move, to try to run, to realize his 
position with the girl to protect. 

Still that mountain of flesh was rolling 
down toward them, was almost upon them 
before the captain realized it. With the 
very last ounce of his strength called upon 
to aid him in flight, he leaped with his pre- 
cious burden out upon the level plain. He 
was seventy or more yards away when the 
beast crashed down the slope, only to 
break through the thin crust that formed 
the island and disappear with a few gurgling 
sounds below the surface. 

Campbell heard it and turned to see that 
the weight of the gigantic monster had caus- 
ed its own defeat. “How heavenly fortun- 
ate!” he gasped. 

“Floating islands are like that,” said a 
voice near his ears. 

He looked up into the girl’s eyes. 

“Gosh, I thought you were out!” he said 
quickly, thankful that her swoon had not 
lasted longer. 

“Gee, but you’re a man!” she said. “You 
saved our lives!” 

“We save our own lives every day; we 
leap from before automobiles and street 
cars; we make forced landings and make 
medicine — what’s the difference?” 

“You ask that question because you don’t 
know tbe difference — because you don’t see 
the difference. If you were some other sort 
of a man, like Bunyan, you’d know what I 
mean. Or if you were a timid woman — •” 

“Timid!” he laughed. Then he realized 



1262 



WONDER STORIES 



that his heart was pounding. He tried to 
lie to himself and say that it was because 
of the scare the monster had given him. He 
let her slide gently to her feet. 

“Let’s not get into a discussion on psychol- 
ogy. We’ll find a way to get out of this 
if I have to build an airplane.” 

S HE looked at her wrist Watch. “Why, 
we been out here only three hours! It 
seems like an age ago since we left the 
plane.” 

“And it’s likely only a split second in the 
time of those monsters. They must be thou- 
sands of years old. I’m trying to make out 
what those round things can be.” He pointed 
across the seaweed island. Several balls, the 
height of which looked to be about ten feet, 
were rolling slowly upon the beach. 

Marcine studied them a minute. “It must 
be some sort of vegetation peculiar to this 
strange land,” she speculated. 

But as they looked they saw that the 
things were propelled by a sort of tentacle 
arrangement, a band of them extending 
around the leathery ball. As two of the 
strange things moved in their direction, they 
saw that the balls never touched the ground, 
but were held up in the air by the tenta- 
cles. As the ball rotated, the tentacle-legs 
reached forward, carried the weight until 
another leg came around, and then receded, 
tc lie flat against the sides of the ball. 

The two that were coming toward them 
were moving with express train speed. 

“Monsters — of some sort!” gasped Camp- 
bell. “We’ve got to dive back up the hill. 
Watch your step!” 

“I won’t faint again,” said the girl, gath- 
ering her breath. They skirted the edge 
of the hole where the gigantic monster had 
disappeared and started up the incline. Even 
a.s they ran they looked back to see the balls 
gaining upon them. But something moved 
in the weeds in the path of one of them. 
It looked like a sea lion. It could not move 
swiftly. 

The ball bore down upon it. , Then it 
opened on one side like an orange being 
cut in two, and the great mouth closed down 
upon the unfortunate seal. The other mon- 



ster continued to roll toward Campbell and 
Marcine, but when it reached the incline 
it slowed down. 

At close range, Campbell took careful 
aim and sent two shots from his .44 Colt at 
the thing. It stopped, dead still, and its 
tentacle-legs lowered it to the ground. It 
rolled back into the same hole wherein had 
disappeared the gigantic monster and lay 
very still upon the surface of the water. The 
other ball was also motionless. It was sat- 
isfied with the meal it had obtained. 

“A world of monstrosities!” exclaimed the 
captain. 

Tl\e girl did not answer. He looked at 
her suddenly, and he saw that she was reel- 
ing as she walked. He caught her up in 
his arms as her limp body gave way to the 
strain that had been upon it. He hurried 
quickly toward the plane. 

But before the captain, on his way back 
to the plane with the burden of the lovely 
Marcine in his arms, lay hazards that come 
under the heading of things hideous and ter- 
rifying. Only the intelligence that held 
forth above the universe could know how he 
managed to escape the threatening jaws of 
another of the great monsters that looked 
like an eel. Or how his gun, in his free 
hand, happened to stop the charging trunk 
turtle that was so large it could have swal- 
lowed him with one gulp. The crocodiles 
and gigantic iguanas were like so many pets 
in comparison to the greater animals that 
had threatened their lives. 

Yet it was not long before Campbell top- 
ped a mound to see the plane lying there, 
motionless. Tears filled his eyes as he look- 
ed at his great amphibian. She had been 
the prid^^of his heart. Now she lay with 
one wing dug deep into the mass of seaweed 
and crumpled, the other extended to the sky 
to invite the first fierce gust of wind that 
came down upon the Sargasso. 

He collapsed as Carter and Mills hurried 
out to the listing deck to meet them. The 
strain of the past twenty-four hours left him 
weak and near to helplessness. Yet within 
an hour he sat up in his improvised bed and 
inquired about his passengers. Carter 
hesitatingly told him of Thomason’s death. 
It was not until then that he learned that the 



THE SARGASSO MONSTER 



1263 



unfortunate passenger was the doctor Mar- 
cine had mentioned the evening before. 

<t1~> UT you have a nurse. Captain,” said 
Mills, smiling. 

“And what a nurse!” said Campbell, look- 
ing up to see Marcine standing over him. 

“She didn’t say anything bad about you,” 
continued Mills. “How about those mon- 
sters — are we in any danger?” 

“Imminent danger,” said Carter, looking 
to Campbell for confirmation. 

“If one of those things finds us here we’re 
sunk,” agreed Campbell. He sat up, sud- 
denly, and demanded, looking about him, 
“Where is Bunyan?” 

“When Carter got back he sent him for a 
walk,” said Mills dryly. There was just a 
faint trace of a smile on his lips. 

“For — ” Campbell stopped suddenly. 
There wasn’t really any use to start an argu- 
ment. He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, 
all of you saw how he tried to kill me.” 

The two men nodded and walked away. 
The two women, the elderly one and the 
middle aged one, were preparing food over 
the emergency gasoline stove. They brought 
a bowl of milky soup and placed it before 
Campbell on the hinged table. 

As he slowly sipped it, he thought over 
the circumstance that confronted them. It 
was likely that other planes of the Tilden 
lines were searching for them. But would 
they come far off the course here, beyond the 
latitude where he had been forced down? 
Would they discover the rushing current that 
carried everything far into the dark and my- 
sterious Sargasso and follow it across the 
maelstrom? 

They could only hope for rescue. Some- 
where out there on the opposite shore of the 
strange island might lie a disabled ship. 
There might even be human inhabitants. 
But to reach them was something like old 
Lawrence Tilden would term “flirting with 
Hell,” and that would be foolish. Those 
ball monsters would rush even a dozen men. 
The gigantic eel-like things, the turtles and 
that nameless creature so big that it would 
pigmy a whale, stood m the way. 

Campbell’s thoughts* were interrupted by 
a single glance at the figure of Marcine out- 



lined against the silken curtain up forward. 
But they were interrupted for only a minute. 
The sight of her made him all the more de- 
termined to effect an escape. He arose in 
spite of the warning of the two women and 
hurried into the pilot’s cockpit. An idea 
occured to him. 

There were rockets, in the cabinet behind 
the fire extinguisher. He took his keys and 
unlocked the cabinet, bringing Forth a dozen 
of them. Why hadn’t he thought of them 
before? Where had been that pilot’s sense 
of responsibility? Why, there was little 
need of a plane being entirely lost, of its 
crew and passengers being hopeless. He 
placed an armful of the rockets before the 
astonished girl. She picked one up and ex- 
amined it, but did not speak. 

“Send up three every five minutes,” he 
said under his breath. He took out his 
cigar lighter and held it ready. He placed 
one of the rockets in the slots that had been 
provided on the side of the cabin for that 
purpose, and then touched it off. It hissed 
for a second, and then leap>ed into space, 
sailing high into the sky and bursting. A 
prolonged flame hung where it exploded. 
Then the flame died suddenly, and a black 
cloud took its place, so black and dense that 
it could not help but attract the most casual 
glance of a lookout or a cruising plane. 
Several minutes passed before the cloud dis- 
solved into the blue of the Sargasso sky. 
Then one after another of the rockets were 
dispatched, some going higher than others, 
some lasting longer. After an hour, he 
looked at the number that lay before them. 

“We’ll rest a while,” he announced. 
“You’d better go below and take it easy, 
Marc — Miss Rickman. I’ll have Carter and 
Mills on watch up here.” 

“If, anything happens you can depend up- 
on me,” she said, and her hand brushed his 
ever so slightly as she turned to go. 

But she did not reach the cabin hatchway 
before she screamed and pointed off to the 
starboard side of the plane. Campbell 
followed her gaze. What he saw so terrified 
and unnerved him that he was frozen in his 
tracks. It was one of those huge monsters, 
like the one that h^d rolled after them down 
the slope. But this one was much bigger 



1264 



WONDER STORIES 



and looked more ferocious as it ambled to- 
ward them, its fin-like feet slapping against 
the cushioning seaweed, and its gloating, 
monstrous eyes fastened upon them. 

CHAPTER V. 

The Last Stand 

ET below — quickly!” snapped Camp- 

vJ bell. He followed Marcine down the 
steps and closed the hatch after them. “Close 
all the ports,” he snapped again. “That 
thing means business. Every one be still and 
silent. If it sees you move it will crush this 
cabin between its jaws.” 

The middle aged woman sobbed. The 
older one fainted. The former became mad 
with fright. 

“Take care of her,” ordered Campbell to 
Marcine, who, smiling bravely, went aft to 
the stricken woman and took her hands and 
held them gently. Merciful oblivion took 
possession of her. Carter and Wells were 
running about the cabin aimlessly, like 
frightened inmates in a cell of death. 

“Snap out of it, fellows — I’ll need you!” 
sang out the pilot. “If anyone here has to 
die I’ll go first and show you how easy it 
is!” 

Carter looked up. Something of the fel- 
lowship of men, that kindred feeling that 
too seldom motivates the acts of men in 
desperate situations seemed to have crept 
over him. 

Easy to die — the words of Service. Both 
of the men looked up. Then they stood 
calmly before him. Campbell simply glanc- 
ed between them and Marcine Rickman. He 
thought they caught his meaning. 

“Drop to the floor and lie still. If it 
menaces the plane use these.” He handed 
each of them several of the rockets. They 
took out matches and made ready. 

Marcine, having disposed of the two help- 
less women by leaving them relaxed in utter 
abandon upon the soft cushions, came for- 
ward and followed the example of the others, 
taking a handful of the rockets. Campbell 
knelt beside her. A single open porthole 
kept their attention. 

“I hope it swallows one of my dad’s mo- 



tors and chokes!” whispered the girl at the 
pilot’s side. 

“One of them running,” added Campbell. 

The monster of the dim past came closer 
and stopped. It raised its gigantic head 
like a conquering monarch. Nothing they 
had ever seen or dreamed of having seen was 
srt gigantic or repulsive. Its great cup-like 
mouth was pink insid'e. The lips were ex- 
tended toward the plane, a dozen feet from 
it. It loomed ^ip over the helpless ship, 
its fin-like feet^slapping the ground. An 
amphibious carnivore, Campbell knew, for 
his learning in ancient and natural history 
had taught him something of the animals 
of ancient seas. This giant saurian ate flesh. 
Perhaps it could smell them, if it had 
enough instinct to know that they were in- 
side the cabin. 

It ambled forward, two lumbering steps 
bringing it directly over the plane. Its mouth 
was open and its gigantic lips were almost 
touching the skylight directly over Campbell 
and Marcine. Slowly, the head descended 
upon them. Part of the upper wing crim- 
pled as if it were made of tissue. 

Terror struck the souls of them. Panic 
seized them. One of the woman screamed. 
Wells dived beneath a seat and lay there 
sobbing. Campbell whispered for them to 
be silent. Someone fell over his feet. It 
was Marcine. She got up and ran aft, 
opened a port hole, set a rocket in its and 
touched it off. There was a blinding flash, 
a hiss, and the rocket was gone. 

Campbell reached for his own bundle of 
rockets. He held one in his bare hands and 
sent it up through the skylight, into the 
mouth of the monster. Another and another 
he let go as the great lips began to close. 
The rockets burst inside the saurian. There 
was a resounding blast, and then another 
that was muffled when the lips closed upon 
the fourth rocket that entered its mouth. The 
head swung away on the bulging neck, and 
the thing started on. 

As it lumbered by them, one of its great 
feet crushed a motor off the wing and into 
the soft weeds. Campbell discharged his 
automatic into the side of the monster. 

The foot barely missed the forward end 
of the cabin. Like a huge sea lion, it drag- 



THE SARGASSO MONSTER 



1265 



ged on past. The panic-stricken women were 
shrieking. They were pointing out the port- 
holes toward the saurian’s tail. It was held 
high, ready to crush down upon them. Sev- 
eral rockets blinded the captadn’s eyes. 

The tail swung closer and splintered the 
wing. One of those ten-foot-wide finny 
feet scraped the nose of the cabin, breaking 
it off. A huge claw a foot thick and four 
times as long was sunk through the deck. 
But it was soon raised and the beast moved 
again. 

But the rockets were bursting beneath it, 
where they had fallen to the ground. Where 
was Marcine? She was not in the cabin! 
Campbell hurried aft, calling for her. 
Through the porthole aft, he saw her shad- 
ow. She was standing on the tail of the 
plane, letting the rockets fly away at the 
touch of a match. One after another they 
hissed and flew away as Campbell climbed 
through the hatch and started to pull her 
down into the cabin. 

“Get your people aft! ’’she yelled. “Look!” 

Following her finger, he saw a black speck 
in the sky off there to the north. It was far 
away and so small that he could not de- 
termine whether it was a seaplane or a diri- 
gible. But it was surely coming toward them. 

“Bring more rockets!” pleaded the girl. 

Campbell dropped through the hatch. 

As he herded his passengers aft, the tail 
of the monster struck. It splintered through 
the top of the cabin, breaking off the nose, 
the pilot’s cockpit and the other motor. But 
the lumbering mass of the thing was moving 
away. Its leather-like sides were heaving 
and its feet were slapping the ground. Its 
great length dragged by them slowly. It 
was several yards away when the first blast 
of the Rickman-Conroff Hummingbirds on 
the big Tilden Twin came to their ears. 
While they stood there elated heyond words, 
the big amphibian slid gently down across 
tbe whirlpool, swayed over the mound, and 
went into a turn. When it came back it 
landed in the water not a hundred feet from 
the plane. 

“Hey, Campbell ! What the devil’s that?” 
yelled Jimmy Trevelyn of the Tilden Air- 
lines, super-pilot and an all-weather airman, 

THE 



from the cockpit of his amphibian as the 
six people came toward the plane. He indi- 
cated the monster. 

“I think it’s Bunyan’s grave,” answered 
the now elated Campbell, dragging his heavy 
feet forward to shake Trevelyn’s hand. 

“Let’s get out of this mess — you can tell 
me all about it when we’ve lifted,” said 
Jimmy, opening the door of the cabin. Thp 
two women and Carter and Wells hurried 
inside. All dropped to waiting seats in com- 
plete exhaustion. Campbell and Marcine 
followed into the pilot’s compartment. 

“I had a line on Bunyan,” explained 
Trevelyn. “He was the fellow who was 
picked off my plane that day, leaving the 
rest of us to drift. That souttler went ashore 
and disappeared. It was three days before 
the base knew our location, and he had 
promised to send a plane after us the minute 
he landed. The fellow who picked him off 
claimed to have been following my ship 
so as to be certain of keeping on the course. 
But that magnet story of yours explains 
things. I was out in the Caribbean, over a 
hundred miles off the course and bearing 
West, when the compass should have read 
Northeast.” 

“Well, he won’t play that game again.” 
Strangely, it was not until that moment 
that he thought of introducing Marcine to 
the pilot. She had stood there listening, 
without comment. “I beg your pardon, 
Marcine,” he said. “This is my old flying 
mate, Jimmy Trevelyn. She can send rockets 
higher than any one I know, Jimmy.” 

“That’s how I found you,” said Jimmy, 
bowing as the plane leveled off far up over 
the brown and blue Sargasso. “I cruised all 
day. When I was about to give it up and 
go back to Key West I saw one of those 
blackball rockets you sent up burst out over 
the most unlikely looking part of the whole 
ocean. I’ll bet my wings there’s something 
more in the story than you’ve told me.” 
Automatically, at his words, Campbell - 
and the girl looked into each other’s eyes. 
After that, for a full twenty minutes, Jimmy 
Trevelyn gazed straight ahead over the nose 
of the amphibian. Nor did he turn his eyes 
when he said, “There’d almost have to be.” 
END. 




The Man Who Evolved 

By Edmond Hamilton 



It was a great brain. It lay in the chamber, its surface ridged and 
wrinkled by innumerable fine conTolutions. 

1266 



THE MAN WHO EVOLVED 



1267 



T here were three of us in Pollard’s 
house on that night that I try vainly 
to forget. Dr. John Pollard himself, Hugh 
Dutton and I, Arthur Wright — we were the 
three. Pollard met that night a fate whose 
horror none could 
dream; Dutton has 
since that night inhab- 
ited a state institution 
reserved for the insane, 
and I alone am left to 
tell what happened. 

It was on Pollard’s 
invitation that Dutton 
and I went up to his 
isolated cottage. We 
three had been friends 
and room-mates at the 
New York Technical 
University. Our friend- 
ship was perhaps a lit- 
tle unusual, for Pol- 
lard was a number of 
years older than Dut- 
ton and myself and 
was different in tem- 
perament, being rather 
quieter by nature. He 
had followed an inten- 
sive course of biolog- 
ical studies, too, in- 
stead of the ordinary 
engineering courses 
Dutton and I had tak- 
en. 



As Dutton and I 
drove northward along 
the Hudson on that af- 
ternoon, we found our- 
selves reviewing what 
we knew of Pollard’s 
career. We had known 
of his taking his mas- 
ter’s and doctor’s de- 
grees, and had heard 
of his work under 
Braun, the Vienna biol- 



rpHERE is no more fas- 
J- cinating subject of 
speculation for man than 
that concerning his change 
through the millions of 
years of Ms life from the 
simple one-celled animal to 
his present high state of 
development. 

Even today eminent biol- 
ogists differ as to the forces 
that raised us from the 
primordial slime and gave 
us the intelligence and 
power to create a great 
civilization — with its im- 
pressive mechanical forces, 
its art, literature and cul- 
ture. 

The doctrine of Darwin 
that we changed because 
only the fittest species could 
survive does not explain 
anything. The idea of 
Shaw that we changed be- 
cause we wanted to change 
is more understandable but 
less convincing. Science is 
working feverishly to find 
the true force or forces 
that caus'e mutations. 

The second question that 
we dwell upon is what will 
be the road of our evolu- 
tion? Is our path a spiral, 
ever upward to newer and 
newer glories and greater 
achievements? Or does the 
mystic future hold things 
that are strange, incredible 
or even horrible? Our well- 
known author answers some 
of these questions in this 
most engrossing story. 



ogist whose theories 
had stirred up such turmoil. We had heard 
casually, too, that afterwards he had come 
back to plunge himself in private research 
at the country-house beside the Hudson he 



had inherited. But since then we had had 
no word from him and had been somewhat 
surprised to receive his telegrams inviting 
us to spend the week-end with him. 

It was drawing into early-summer twi- 
light when Dutton and 
I reached a small riv- 
erside village and were 
directed to Pollard’s 
place, a mile or so be- 
yond. We found it 
easily enough, a splen- 
did old pegged-frame 
house that for a hun- 
dred-odd years had 
squatted on a low hill 
above the river. Its 
outbuildings were 
clustered around the 
big house like the 
chicks about some pro- 
tecting hen. 

Pollard himself came 
out to greet us. “Why, 
you boys have grown 
up!’’ was his first ex-' 
clamation. “Here I’ve . 
remembered you as 
Hughie and Art, the 
campus trouble-raisers, 
and you look as though 
you belong to business 
clubs and talk everlast- 
ingly about sales-re- 
sistance!” 

“That’s the sobering 
effect of commercial 
life,” Dutton explain- 
ed, grinning. “It 
hasn’t touched you, 
you old oyster — you 
look the same as you 
did five years ago.” 

He did, too, his 
lanky figure and slow 
smile and curiously 
thoughtful eyes having 
changed not a jot. Yet 
seemed to show some 
usual excitement and I 



Pollard’s bearing 
rather more than 
commented on it. 

“If I seem a little excited it’s because this 



1268 



WONDER STORIES 



is a great day for me,” he answered. 

"Well, you are in luck to get two fine fel- 
lows like Dutton and me to trail up to this 
hermitage of yours,” I began, but he shook 
his head smilingly. 

“I don’t refer to that. Art, though I’m 
mighty glad you’ve come. As for my hermi- 
tage, as you call it, don’t say a word against 
it. I’ve been able to do work here I could 
never have done amid the distractions of a 
city laboratory.” ^ 

Hie eyes were alight. “If you two knew 
what — but there, you’ll hear it.soon enough. 
Let’s get inside — I suppose you’re hungry?” 

“Hungry — not I,” I assured him. “I 
might devour half^a steer or some trifle like 
that, but I have really no 
appetite for anything else 
today.” 

“Same here,” Dutton 
said. “I just pick at my 
food lately. Give me a 
few dozen sandwiches and 
a bucket of coffee and 1 
consider it a full meal.” 

“Well, we’ll see what 
we oan do to tempt your 
delicate appetites,” aaid 
Pollard, as we went in- 
side. 

We found his big house 
comfortable enough, with 
long, low-ceilinged rooms 
and broad windows look- 
ing riverward. After put- 
ting our bags in a bed- 
room, and while his housekeeper and cook 
prepared dinner, Pollard escorted us on a 
tour of inspection of the place. We were 
most interested in his laboratory. 

It was a small wing he had added to the 
house, of frame construction outside to har- 
monize with the rest of the building, but 
inside offering a gleaming vista of white- 
tiled walls and polished instruments. A big 
cube-like structure of transparent metal 
surmounted by a huge metal cylinder re- 
sembling a monster vacuum tube, took up 
the room’s center, and he showed us in an 
adjoining stone-floored room the dynamos 
and motors of his private power-plant. 

Night had fallen by the time we finished 




EDMOND HAMILTON 



dinner, the meal having been prolonged 
by our reminiscences. The housekeeper and 
cook had gone, Pollard explaining that the 
servants did not sleep in the place. We sat 
smoking for a while in his living-room, Dut- 
ton looking appreciatively around at our 
comfortable surroundings. 

“Your hermitage doesn’t seem half -bad, 
Pollard,” he commented. “I wouldn’t mind 
this easy life for a while myself.” 

“Easy life?” repeated Pollard. “That’s 
all you know about it, Hugh. The fact is 
that I’ve never worked so hard in my life 
as I’ve done up here in the last two years.” 
“What in the world have you been work- 
ing at?” I asked. “Something so unholy 
you’ve had to keep it 
hidden here?” 

A Mad Scheme 

P OLLARD chuckled. 

“That’s what they 
think down in the village. 
They know I’m a biologist 
and have a laboratory 
here, so it’s a foregone 
conclusion with them that 
I’m doing vivisection of 
a specially dreadful na- 
ture. That’s why the ser- 
vants won’t stay here at 
night.” 

“As a matter of fact,” 
he added, “if they knew 
down in the village what 
I’ve really been working on they’d bfe ten 
times as fearful as they are now.” 

“Are you trying to play the mysterious 
great scientist for our benefit?” Dutton de- 
manded. “If you are you’re wasting time 
— I know you, stranger, so take off that 
mask.” 

“That’s right,” I told him. “If you’re 
trying to get our curiosity worked up you’ll 
find we can scram you as neatly as we could 
five years ago.” 

“Which scramming generally ended in 
black eyes for both of you,” he retorted. 
“But I’ve no intention of working up your 
curiosity — as a matter of fact I asked you 



THE MAN WHO EVOLVED 



1269 



up here to see what I’ve been doing and 
help me finish it.” 

“Help you?” echoed Dutton. “What can 
we help you do — dissect worms? Somd 
week-end, I can see right now!” 

“There’s more to this than dissecting 
worms,” Pollard said. He leaned back and 
smoked for a little time in silence before 
he spoke again. 

“Do you two have any knowledge at all 
of evolution?” he asked. 

“I know that it’s a fighting word in some 
states,” I answered, “and that when you say 
it you’ve got to smile, damn you.” 

He smiled himself. “I suppose you’re 
aware of the fact, however, that all life on 
this earth began as simple uni-cellular proto- 
plasm, and by successive evolutionary muta- 
tions or changes developed into its present 
forms and is still slowly developing?” 

“We know that much — ^just because we’re 
not biologists you needn’t think we’re totally 
ignorant of biology,” Dutton said. 

“Shut up, Dutton,” I warned. “What’s 
evolution got t6 do with your work up here, 
Pollard?” 

“It is my work up here,” Pollard answer- 
ed. 

He bent forward. “I’ll try to make this 
clear to you from the start. You know, or 
say you know, the main steps of evolution- 
ary development. Life began on this earth 
as simple protoplasm, a jelly-like mass from 
which developed small protoplasmic organ- 
isms. From these developed in turn sea- 
creatures, land-lizards, mammals, by suc- 
cessive mutations. This infinitely slow evo- 
lutionary process has reached its highest 
point so far in the mammal man, and is still 
going on with the same slowness. 

“This much is certain biological knowl- 
edge, but two great questions concerning this 
process of evolution have remained hitherto 
unanswered. First, what is the cause of 
evolutionary change, the cause of these slow, 
steady mutations into higher forms? Sec- 
ond, what is the future course of man’s 
evolution going to be, what will the forms 
into which in the future man will evolve, 
and where will his evolution stop? Those 
two questions biology has so far been un- 
able to answer.” 



Pollard was silent a moment and then 
said quietly, “I have found the answer to 
one of those questions, and am going to 
find the answer to the other tonight.” 

We stared at him. “Are you trying to 
spoof us?” I asked finally. 

“I’m absolutely serious, Arthur. I have 
actually solved the first of those problems, 
have found the cause of evolution.” 

“What is it, then?” burst out of Dutton. 
“What it has been thought by some biolo- 
gists for years to be,” Pollard answered. 
“The cosmic rays.” 

“The cosmic rays?” I echoed. “The 
vibrations Trom space that Millikan discov- 
ered?” 

“Yes, the cosmic rays, the shortest wave- 
length and most highly penetrating of all 
vibratory forces. It has been known that 
they beat unceasingly upon the earth from 
outer space, cast forth by the huge gener- 
ators of the stars, and it has also been known 
that they must have some great effect in one 
way or another upon the life of the earth.” 
“I have proved that they do have such an 
effect, and that that effect is what we call 
evolution! For it is the cosmic rays, beat- 
ing upon every living organism on earth, 
that cause the profound changes in the 
structure of those organisms which we call 
mutations. Those changes are slow indeed, 
but it is due to them that through the ages 
life has been raised from the first proto- 
plasm to man, and is still being raised 
higher.” 

( ( OOD Lord, you can’t be serious on 
vjr this, Pollard!” Dutton protested. 

“I am so serious that I am going to stake 
my life on my discovery tonight,” Pollard 
answered, quietly. 

We were startled. “What do you mean?” 
“I mean that I have found in the cosmic 
rays the cause of evolution, the answer to 
the first question, and that tonight by means 
of them I am going to answer the second 
question and find out what the future evolu- 
tionary development of man will be!” 

“But how could you possibly — ” 

Pollard interrupted. “Easily enough. I 
have been able in the last months to do 
something no physicist has been able to do, 



1270 



WONDER STORIES 



to concentrate the cosmic rays and yet re- 
move from them their harmful properties. 
You saw the cylinder over the metal cube 
in my laboratory? That cylinder literally 
gathers in for an immense distance the cos- 
mic rays that strike this part of earth, and 
reflects them down inside the cube. 

“Now suppose those concentrated cosmic 
rays, millions of times stronger than the 
ordinary cosmic rays that strike one spot on 
earth, fall upon a man standing inside the 
cube. What will be the result? It is the 
cosmic rays that cause evolutionary change, 
and you heard me say that they are still 
changing all life on earth, still changing 
man, but so slowly as to be unnoticeable. 
But what about the man under those terrifi- 
cally intensified rays ? He will be changed 
millions of times faster than ordinarily, will 
go forward in hours or minutes through the 
evolutionary mutations that all mankind 
will go forward through in eons to come!” 

“And you propose to try that experi- 
ment?” I cried. 

“I propose to try it on myself,” said Pol- 
lard gravely, “and to find out for myself the 
evolutionary changes that await human- 
kind.” 

“Why, it’s insane!” Dutton exclaimed. 

Pollard smiled. “The old cry,” he com- 
mented. “Never an attempt has been made 
yet to tamper with nature’s laws, but that 
cry has been raised.” 

“But Dutton’s right!” I cried. “Pollard, 
you’ve worked here alone too long — you’ve 
let your mind become warped — ” 

“You are trying to tell me that I have 
become a little mad,” he said. “No, I am 
sane — perhaps wonderfully sane, in trying 
this.” 

His expression changed, his eyes brooding. 
“Can’t you two see what this may mean to 
humanity? As we are to the apes, so must 
the men of the future be to us. If we could 
use this method of mine to take all mankind 
forward through millions of years of evolu- 
tionary development at one stride, wouldn’t 
it be sane to do so?” 

My mind was whirling. “Good heavens, 
the whole thing is so crazy,” I protested. 
“To accelerate the evolution of the human 



race? It seems somehow a thing forbid- 
den.” 

“It’s a thing glorious if it can be done,” 
he returned, “and I know that it can be 
done. But first one must go ahead, must 
travel on through stage after stage of man’s 
future development to find out to which 
stage it would be most desirable for all 
mankind to be transferred. I know there 
is such an age.” 

“And you asked us up here to take part 
in that?” 

“Just that. I mean to enter the cube and 
let the concentrated rays whirl me forward 
along the paths of evolution, but I must 
have someone to turn the rays on and off at 
the right moments.” 

“It’s all incredible!” Dutton exclaimed. 
“Pollard, if this is a joke it’s gone far 
enough for me.” 

For answer Pollard rose. “We will go 
to the laboratory now,” he said simply. “I 
am eager to get started.” 

1 cannot remember following Pollard and 
Dutton to the laboratory, my thoughts were 
spinning so at the time. It' was not until 
we stood before the great cube from which 
the huge metal cylinder towered that I was 
aware of the reality of it all. 

Pollard had gone into the dynamo-room 
and as Dutton and I stared wordlessly at 
the great cube and cylinder, at the retorts 
and flasks of acids and strange equipment 
about us, we heard the hum of motor-gen- 
erators. Pollard came back to the switch- 
board supported in a steel frame beside the 
cube, and as he closed a switch there there 
came a crackling and the cylinder glowed 
with white light. 

Pollard pointed to it and the big quartz- 
like disc in the cubical chamber’s ceiling, 
from which the white force-shafts shot down- 
ward. 

“The cylinder is now gathering cosmic 
rays from an immense area of space,” he 
said, “and those- concentrated rays are fall- 
ing through that disk into the cube’s inter- 
ior. To cut ofiF the rays it is necessary only 
to open this switch.” He reached to open 
the switch, the light died. 



THE MAN WHO EVOLVED 



1271 



The Man Who Evolved 

m 

Q uickly, while we stared, he removed 
his clothing, donning in place of it a 
loose white running suit. 

“I will want to observe the changes of my 
own body as much as possible,” he explain- 
ed. “Now, I will stand inside the cube 
and you will turn on the rays and let them 
play upon me for fifteen minutes. Rough- 
ly, that should represent a period of some 
fifty million years of future evolutionary 
change. At the end of fifteen minutes you 
will turn the rays off and we will be able to 
observe what changes they have caused. We 
will then resume the process, going for- 
ward by fifteen-minute or rather fifty million 
year periods.” 

“But where will it stop — where will we 
quit the process?” Dutton asked. 

Pollard shrugged. “We’ll stop where 
evolution stops, that is, where the rays no 
longer affect me. You know, biologists have 
often wondered what the last change or 
final development of man will be, the last, 
mutation. Well, we are going to see tonight 
what it will be.” 

He stepped toward the cube and then paus- 
ed, went to a desk and brought from it a 
sealed envelope he handed to me. 

“This is just in case something happens 
to me of a fatal nature,” he said. “It con- 
tains an attestation signed by myself that 
you two are in no way responsible for what 
I am undertaking.” 

“Pollard, give up this unholy business!” 
I cried, clutching his arm. “It’s not too 
late, and this whole thing seems ghastly to 
me!” 

“I’m afraid it is too late,” he smiled. “If 
I backed out now I’d be ashamed to look in 
a mirror hereafter. And no explorer was 
ever more eager than I am to start down 
the path of man’s future evolution!” 

He stepped up into the cube, standing 
directly beneath the disk in its ceiling. He 
motioned imperatively, and like an automa- 
ton I closed the door and then threw the 
switch. 

The cylinder broke again into glowing 
white light, and as the shafts of glowing 
white force shot down from the disk in the 



cube’s ceiling upon Pollard, we glimpsed 
his whole body writhing as though beneath 
a terrifically concentrated electrical force. 
The shaft of glowing emanations, almost hid 
him from our view. I knew that the cosmic 
rays in themselves were invisible but 
guessed that the light of the cylinder and 
shaft was in some way a transformation of 
part of the rays into visible light. 

Dutton and I stared with beating hearts 
into the cubical chamber, having but fleet- 
ing glimpses of Pollard’s form. My watch 
was in one hand, the other hand on the 
switch. The fifteen minutes that followed 
seemed to me to pass with the slowness of 
fifteen eternities. Neither of us spoke and 
the only sounds were the hum of the gener- 
ators and the crackling of the cylinder that 
from the far spaces was gathering and con- 
centrating the rays of evolution. 

At last the watch’s hand marked the quar- 
ter-hour and I snapped off the switch, the 
light of, the cylinder and inside the cube 
dying. Exclamations burst from us both. 

Pollard stood inside the cube, staggering 
as though still dazed by the impact of the 
experience, but he was not the Pollard who 
had entered the chamber! He was trans- 
figured, godlike ! His body had literally ex- 
panded into a great figure of such physical 
power and beauty as we had not imagined 
could exist! He was many inches taller and 
broader, his skin a clear pink, every limb 
and muscle molded as though by some mas- 
ter sculptor. 

The greatest change, though, was in his 
face . Pollard’s homely, good-humored 
features were gone, replaced by a face 
whose pprfectly-cut features held the stamp 
of immense intellectual power that shone 
almost overpoweringly from the clear dark 
eyes. It was not Pollard who stood before 
us, I told myself, but a being as far above 
us as the most advanced man of today is 
above the troglodyte! 

He was stepping out of the cube and his 
voice reached our ears, clear and bell-like, 
triumphant. 

“You see? It worked as I knew it would 
work! I’m fifty million years ahead of the 
rest of humanity in evolutionary develop- 
ment!” 



1272 



WONDER STORIES 



“Pollard!” My lips moved with dif- 
ficulty. “Pollard, this is terrible — ^this 
change — ” 

His radiant eyes flashed. “Terrible? It’s 
wonderful! Do you two realize what I now 
am, can you realize it? This body of mine 
is the kind of body all men will have in 
fifty million years, and the brain inside it 
is a brain fifty million years ahead of yours 
in development!” 

H e swept his hand about. “Why, all 
this laboratory and former work of 
mine seems infinitely petty, childish, to me! 
The problems that I worked on for years I 
could solve now in minutes. I could do 
more for mankind now than all the men 
now living could do together!” 

“Then you’re going to stop at this stage?” 
Dutton cried eagerly. “You’re not going 
further with this?” 

“Of course I am! If fifty million years 
development makes this much change in 
man, what will a hundred million years, two 
hundred million make? I’m going to find 
that out.” 

I grasped his hand. “Pollard, listen to 
me! Your experiment has succeeded, has 
fulfilled your wildest dreams. Stop it now! 
Think what you can accomplish, man! I 
know your ambition has always been to be 
one of humanity’s great benefactors — by 
stopping here you can be the greatest! You 
can be a living proof to mankind of what 
your process can make it, and with that 
proof before it all humanity will be eager to 
become the same as you!” 

He freed himself from my grasp. “No, 
Arthur — I have gone part of the way into 
humanity’s future and I’m going on.” 

He stepped back into the chamber, while 
Dutton and I stared helplessly. It seemed 
half a dream, the laboratory, the cubical 
chamber, the godlike figure inside that was 
and still v/as not Pollard. 

“Turn on the rays, and let them play for 
fifteen minutes more,” he was directing. 
“It will project me ahead another fifty mil- 
lion years.” 

His eyes and voice were imperative, and 
I glanced at my watch, and snicked over the 



switch. Again the cylinder broke into 
light, again the shaft of force shot down 
into the cube to hide Pollard’s splendid fig- 
ure. 

Dutton and I waited with feverish inten- 
sity in the next minutes. Pollard was 
standing still beneath the broad shaft of 
force, and so was hidden in it from our 
eyes. What would its lifting disclose? 
Would he have changed still more, into some 
giant form, or would he be the same, hav- 
ing already reached humanity’s highest pos- 
sible development? 

When 1 shut off the mechanism at the 
end of the appointed period, Dutton and I 
received a shock. For again Pollard had 
changed ! 

He was no longer the radiant, physically 
perfect figure of the first metamorphosis. 
His body instead seemed to have grown thin 
and shrivelled, the outlines of bones visible 
through its flesh. His body, indeed, seem- 
ed to have lost half its bulk and many inches 
of stature and breadth, but these were com- 
pensated for by the change in his head. 

For the head supported by this weak body 
was an immense, bulging balloon that meas- 
ured fully eighte^ inches from brow to 
back! It was almost entirely hairless, its 
great mass balanced precariously upon his 
slender shoulders and neck. And his face 
too was changed greatly, the eyes larger and 
the mouth smaller, the ears seeming smaller 
also. The great bulging forehead domina- 
ted the face. 

Could this be Pollard? His voice sound- 
ed thin and weak to our ears. 

“You are surprised to see me this time? 
Well, you see a man a hundred million years 
ahead of you in development. And I must 
confess that you appear to me as two bru- 
tish, hairy cave-men would appear to you.” 

“But Pollard, this is awful!” Dutton 
cried. “This change is more terrible than 
the first ... if you had only stopped at 
the first ...” 

The eyes of the shrivelled, huge-headed 
figure in the cube fired with anger. “Stop 
at that first stage? I’m glad now that I 
didn’t! The man I was fifteen minutes 
ago . . . fifty million years ago in devel- 
opment . . . seems now to me to have been 



THE MAN WHO EVOLVED 



1273 



half-animal! What was his big animal-like 
body beside my immense brain?” 

“You say that because in this change 
you’re getting away from all human emo- 
tions and sentiments!” I burst. “Pollard, 
do you realize what you’re doing? You’re 
changing out of human semblance!” 

“I realize it perfectly,” he snapped, “and 
I see nothing to be-deplored in the fact. It 
means that in a hundred million years man 
will be developing in brain-capacity and 
will care nothing for the development of 
body. To you two crude beings, of what 
is to me the past, this seems terrible; but 
to me it is desirable and natural. Turn on 
the rays again!” 

“Don’t do it. Art!” cried Dutton. “This 
madness has gone far enough!” 

Pollard’s great eyes surveyed us with cold 
menace. “You will turn on the rays,” his 
thin voice ordered deliberately. “If you 
do not, it will be but the work of a moment 
for me to annihilate both of you and go on 
with this alone.” 

“You’d kill us?” I said dumfoundedly. 
“We two, two of your best friends?” 

His narrow mouth seemed to sneer. 
“Friends? I am millions of years past such 
irrational emotions as friendship. The 
only emotion you awaken in me is a con- 
tempt for your crudity. Turn on the rays!” 

The Brain Monster 

H IS eyes blazed as he snapped the last 
order, and as though propelled by a 
force outside myself, I closed the switch. 
The shaft of glowing force again hid him 
from our view. 

Of our thoughts during the following 
quarter-hour I can say nothing, for both 
Dutton and I were so rigid with awe and 
horror as to make our minds chaotic. I 
shall never forget, though, that first moment 
after the time had passed and I had again 
switched off the mechanism. 

The change had continued, and Pollard — 
I could not call him that in my own mind — 
stood in the cube-chamber as a shape the 
sight of which stunned our minds. 

He had become simply a great head! A 
huge hairless head fully a yard in diameter, 



supported on tiny legs, the arms having 
dwindled to mere hands that projected just 
below the head! The eyes were enormous, 
saucer-like, but the ears were mere pin-holes 
at either side of the head, the nose and 
mouth being similar holes below the eyes! 

He was stepping out of the chamber on 
his ridiculously little limbs, and as Dutton 
and I reeled back in unreasoning horror, his 
voice came to us as an almost inaudible 
piping. And it held pride! 

“You tried to keep me from going on, and 
you see what I have become? To such as 
you, no doubt, I seem terrible, yet you two 
and all like you seem as low to me as the 
worms that prawl!” 

“Good God, Pollard, you’ve made yourself 
a monster!” The words burst from me 
without thought. 

His enormous eyes turned on me. “You 
call me Pollard, yet I am no more the Pol- 
lard you knew, and who entered that cham- 
ber first, than you are the ape of millions of 
years ago from whom you sprang ! And all 
mankind is like you two! Well, they will 
all learn the powers of one who is a hun- 
dred and fifty million years in advance of 
them!” 

“What do you mean?” Dutton exclaimed. 

“I mean that with the colossal brain I 
have I will master without a struggle this 
man-swarming planet, and make it a huge 
laboratory in which to pursue the experi- 
ments that please me.” 

“But Pollard — remember why you started 
this!” I cried. “To go ahead and chart the 
path of future evolution for humanity — to 
benefit humanity and not to rule it!” 

The great head’s enormous eyes did not 
change. “I remember that the creature Pol- 
lard that I was until tonight had such foolish 
ambitions, yes. It would stir mirth now, 
if I could feel such an emotion. To bene- 
fit humanity? Do you men dream of bene- 
fitting the animals you rule over? I would 
no sooner think of working for the benefit 
of you humans!” 

“Do you two yet realize that I am so far 
ahead of you in brain power now as you are 
ahead of the beasts that perish? Look at 
this ...” 

He had climbed onto a chair beside one 



1274 



WONDER STORIES 



of the laboratory tables, was reaching 
among the retorts and apparatus there. 
Swiftly he poured several compounds into a 
lead mortar, added others, poured upon the 
mixed contents another mixture made as 
swiftly. 

There was a puff of intense green smoke 
from the mortar instantly, and then the 
great head — I can only call him that — turned 
the mortar upside down. A lump of shin- 
ing mottled metal fell out and we gasped as 
we recognized the yellow sheen of pure gold, 
made in a moment, apparently, by a mixture 
of conimon compounds! 

“You see?” the grotesque figure was ask- 
ing. “What is the transformation of ele- 
ments to a mind like mine? You two can- 
not even realize the scope of my intelli- 
gence ! 

“I can destroy all life on this earth from 
this room, if I desire. I can construct a 
telescope that will allow me to look on the 
planets of the farthest galaxies ! I can send 
my mind forth to 'make contact with other 
minds without the slightest material con- 
nection. And you think it terrible that I 
should rule your race! I will not rule 
them, I will own them and this planet eis 
you might own a farm and animals!” 

“You couldn’t!” I cried. “Pollard, if 
there is anything of Pollard left in you, give 
up that thought! We’ll kill you ourselves 
before we’ll let you start a monstrous rule 
of men!” 

“We will— by God, we will!” Dutton 
cried, his face twitching. 

We had started desperately forward tow- 
ard the great head but stopped suddenly in 
our tracks as his great eyes met ours. I 
found myself walking backward to where I 
had stood, walking back and Dutton with 
me, like two automatons. 

“So you two would try to kill me?” 
queried the head that had been Pollard. 
“Why, I could direct you without a word to 
kill yourselves and you’d do so in an in- 
stant ! What chance has your puny will 
and brain against mine? And what chance 
will all the force of men have against me 
when a glance from me will make them 
puppets of my will?” 



A DESPERATE inspiration flashed 
through my brain. “Pollard, wait?” 
I exclaimed. “You were going on with the 
process, with the rays! If you stop here 
you’ll not know what changes lie beyond 
your present form!” 

He seemed to consider. “That is true,” 
he admitted, “and though it seems impossi- 
ble to me that by going on I can attain to 
greater intelligence than I now have, I want 
to find out for certain.” 

“Then you’ll go imder the rays for an- 
other fifteen minutes?” I asked quickly. 

“I will,” he answered, “but lest you har- 
bor any foolish ideas, you may know that 
even inside the chamber I will be able to 
lead your thoughts and can kill both of you 
before you can make a move to harm me.” 
He stepped up into the chamber again, 
and as I reached for the switch, Dutton 
trembling beside me, we glimpsed for a mo- 
ment the huge head before the down-smiting 
white force hid it from our sight. 

The minutes of this period seemed drag- 
ging even more slowly than before. It 
seemed hours before 1 reached at laist to 
snap off the rays. We gazed into the cham- 
ber, shaking. 

At first glance the great head inside 
seemed unchanged, but then we saw that it 
had changed, and greatly. Instead of be- 
ing a skin-covered head with at least rudi- 
mentary arms and legs, it was now a great 
gray head-like shape of even greater size, 
supported by two gray muscular tentacles. 
The surface of this gray head-thing was 
wrinkled and folded, and its only features 
were two eyes as small as our own. 

“Oh my God!” quaked Dutton. “He’s 
changing from a head into a brain — he’s los- 
ing all human appearance!” 

Into our minds came a thought from the 
gray head-thing before us, a thought as 
clear as though spoken. “You have guessed 
it, for even my former head-body is disap- 
pearing, all atrophying except the brain. I 
am become a walking, seeing brain. As I 
am so all of your race will be in two hun- 
dred million years, gradually losing more 
and more of their atrophied bodies and de- 
veloping more and more their great brains.” 
His eyes seemed to read us. “You need 



THE MAN WHO EVOLVED 



1275 



not fear now the things I threatened in my 
last stage of development. My mind, grown 
infinitely greater, would no more now want 
to rule you men and your little planet than 
you would want to rule an anthill and its 
inhabitants! My mind, gone fifty million 
years further ahead in development, can 
soar out now to vistas of power and know- 
ledge unimagined by me in that last stage, 
and unimaginable to you.” 

“Great God, Pollard!” I cried. “What 
have you become?” 

“Pollard?” Dutton was laughing hysteri- 
cally. “You call that thing Pollard? Why, 
we had dinner with Pollard three hours ago 
— he was a human being, and not a thing 
like this!” 

“I have become what all men will be- 
come in time,” the thing’s thought answered 
me, “I have gone this far along the road of 
man’s future evolution, and am going on to 
the end of that road, am going to attain the 
development that the last mutation possible 
will give me!” 

“Turn on the rays,” his thought continued. 
“I think that I must be approaching now the 
last possible mutation.” 

I snapped over the switch again and the 
white shaft of the concentrated rays veiled 
from us the great gray shape. I felt my 
own mind giving beneath the strain of hor- 
ror of the last hour, and Dutton was still 
half-hysterical. 

The humming and crackling of the great 
apparatus seemed thunderous to my ears as 
the minutes passed. With every nerve keyed 
to highest tension, I threw open the switch 
at last. The rays ceased, and the figure in 
the chamber was again revealed. 

Dutton began to laugh shrilly, and then 
abruptly was sobbing. I do not know 
whether I was doing the same, though I have 
a dim memory of mouthing incoherent 
things as my eyes took in the shape in the 
chamber. 

It was a great brain! A gray limp mass 
four feet across, it lay in the chamber, its 
surface ridged and wrinkled by innumerable 
fine convolutions. It had no fe^ures or 
limbs of any kind in its gray mass. It was 
simply a huge brain whose only visible sign 
of life was its slow, twitching movement. 



From it thoughts beat strongly into our 
own horror-weighted brains. 

“You see me now, a great brain only, just 
as all men will be far in the future. Yes, 
you might have known, I might have known, 
when I was like you, that this would be the 
course of human evolution, that the brain 
that alone gives man dominance would de- 
velop and the body that hampers that brain 
would atrophy until he would have develop- 
ed into pure brain as I now am! 

“I have no features, no senses that I could 
describe to you, yet I can realize the uni- 
verse infinitely better than you can with 
your elementary senses. I am aware of 
planes of existence you cannot imagine. I 
can feed myself with pure energy without 
the need of a cumbersome body, to trans- 
form it, and I can move and act, despite my 
lack of limbs, by means and with a speed and 
power utterly beyond your comprehension. 

“If you still have fear of the threats I 
made two stages back against your world 
and race, banish them! I am pure intelli- 
gence now and as such, though I can no 
more feel the emotions of love or friendship, 
neither can I feel those of ambition or pride. 
The only emotion, if such it is, that remains 
to me still is intellectual curiosity, and this 
desire for truth that has burned in man since 
his apehood will thus be the last of all de- 
sires to leave him!” 

The Last Mutation 

« 4 BRAIN — a great brain!” Dutton 
was saying dazedly. “Here in Pol- 
lard’s laboratory — but where’s Pollard? He 
was here, too ...” 

“Then all men will some day be as you 
are now?” I cried. 

“Yes,” came the answering thought, “in 
two hundred and fifty million years man as 
you know him and as you are will be no 
more, and after passing all the stages 
through which I have passed through to- 
night, the human race will have developed 
into great brains inhabiting not only your 
solar system, no doubt, but the systems of 
other stars!” 

“And that’s the end of man’s evolutionary 



1276 



WONDER STORIES 



road? That is the highest point that he 
will reach?” 

“No, I think he will change still from 
those great brains into still a higher form,” 
the brain answered — the brain that three 
hours before had been Pollard! — “and I am 
going to find out now what that higher form 
will be. For I think this will be the last 
mutation of all and that with it I will reach 
the end of man’s evolutionary path, the last 
and highest form into which he can devel- 
op!” 

“You will turn on the rays now,” the 
brain’s order continued, “and in fifteen 
minutes we will know what that last and 
highest form is.” 

My hand was on the switch but Dutton 
had staggered to me, was clutching my arm. 
“Don’t, Arthur!” he was exclaiming thick- 
ly. “We’ve seen horrors enough — let’s not 
see the last — get out of here ...” 

“I can’t!” I cried. “Oh God, I want to 
stop but I can’t now — I want to see the end 
myself — I’ve got to see . • . ” 

“Turn on the rays!” came the brain’s 
thought-order again. 

“The end of the road — the last mutation,” 
I panted. “We’ve got to see — to see — ” I 
drove the switch home. 

The rays flashed down again to hide the 
great gray brain in the cube. Dutton’s eyes 
were staring fixedly, he was clinging to me. 

The minutes passed! Each tick of the 
watch in my hand was the mighty note of a 
great tolling bell in my ears. 

An inability to move seemed gripping me. 
The hand of my watch was approaching the 
minihe for which I waited, yet 1 could not 
raise my hand toward the switch! 

Then as the hand reached the appointed 
minute I broke from my immobility and in 
a sheer frenzy of sudden strength pulled 
open the switch, rushed forward with Dut- 
ton to the cube’s very edge! 

The great gray brain that had been inside 
it was gone. There lay on the cube’s floor 
instead of it a quite shapeless mass of clear, 
jelly-like matter. It was quite motionless 
save for a slight quivering. My shaking 
hand went forth to touch it, and then it was 
that I screamed, such a scream as all the 



tortures of bell’s cruelest fiends could not 
have wrung from a human throat. 

The mass inside the cube was a mass 
simple protoplasm! This then was the end 
of mim’s evolution-road, the highest form 
to which time would bring him, the last mu- 
tation of all! The road of man’s evolution ' 
was a circular one, returning to its begin- 
ning! 

From the earth’s bosom had risen the first 
crude organisms. Then sea-creature and 
land-creature and mammal and ape to man; 
and from man it would rise in the future 
through all the forms we had seen that night. 
There would be super-men, bodiless heads, 
pure brains; only to be changed by the last 
mutation of all into the protoplasm from 
which first it had sprung! 

I do not know now exactly what follow- 
ed. I know that I rushed upon that quiver- 
ing, quiescent mass, calling Pollard’s name 
madly and shouting things I am glad I can- 
not remember. I know that Dutton was 
shouting too, with insane laughter, and that 
as he struck with lunatic howls and fury 
about the laboratory the crash of breaking 
glass and the hiss of escaping gases was in 
my ^rs. And then from those mingling 
acids bright flames were leaping and spread- 
ing, sudden fires that alone, I think now, 
saved my own sanity. 

For I can remember dragging the insane- 
ly laughing Dutton from the room, from the 
house, into the cool darkness of the night. 

1 remember the chill of dew-wet grass 
against my hands and face as the flames 
from Pollard’s house soared higher. And 
1 remember that as I saw Dutton’s crazy 
laughter by that crimson light, I knew that 

he would laugh thus until he died. 

« « « 

So ends my narrative of the end that came 
to Pollard and Pollard’s house. It is, as I 
said in beginning, a narrative that I only 
can tell now, for Dutton has never spoken 
a sane word since. In the institution where 
he now is, they think his condition the re- 
sult of shock from the fire, just as Pollard 
was believed to have perished in that fire. 

I have never until now told the truth. 

But I am telling it now, hoping that it 
will in some way lessen the horror it has 



THE MAN WHO EVOLVED 



1277 



left with me. For there could be no horror 
greater than that we saw in Pollard’s house 
that night. I have brooded upon it. With 
my mind’s eye I have followed that tremen- 
dous cycle of change, that purposeless, eon- 
long climb of life up from simple proto- 
plasm through m3rriads of forms and lives 
of ceaseless pain and struggle, only to end 
in simple protoplasm again. 

Will that cycle of evolutionary change be 
repeated over and over again upon this and 
other worlds, ceaselessly, purposelessly, un- 
til there is no more universe for it to go on 
in? Is this colossal cycle of life’s changes 



as inevitable and necessary as the cycle that 
in space makes of the nebulae myriad suns, 
and of the suns dark-stars, and of the dark- 
stars colliding with one another nebula 
again? 

Or is this evolutionary cycle we saw a 
cycle in appearance only, is there some 
chamge that we cannot understand, above and 
beyond it? I do not know which of these 
possibilities is truth, but I do know that the 
first of them haunts me. It would haunt the 
world if the world ^believed my story. Per- 
haps I should be thankful as I write to know 
that I will not be believed. 



THE END 












IT WAS A CHASE 

THROUGH INNUMERABLE WORLDS 

for that unknown Master C-X that led three valiant men to 
“The Scarlet Planet” (by Don. H. Lemon) 



where they encountered a civilization whose nature and customs defied the rea- 
son and imagination of man. Beautiful women vampires who died voluntarily by 
drowning and were immortalized in their tombs; half-human beasts; strange cities 
and stranger instruments of torture all mark this marvelous novel-length story. 



'' Ray Cummings 

adds to the power of this Issue by his intense drama of the conflict of three desperate hu- 
mans fighting off the death of suffocatiop and starvation in interplanetary space. Adrift 
. . . alone . . . they struggled — in 

“The Mark of the Meteor” 



The scientist revealed at last — at his best and at his worst — is a strange creature, hi 
“The Man of Bronze” (by a. l. Fierst) 



wfll find an unusual story of stupendous scientific weapons 
behind the scenes . . . torture and triumph for some . 



. the conflict of nations 
and disaster for others — 



Edsel Newton 

has written for this issue a very unusual story 

“The Hour the Conqueror Came” 

The strange concoction of a wierd brain — multiple — is destined to play an important part 
of ruin • • . . 



Also in this issue 

“The Martian Nemesis” by George b. Beattie 
“Pithecanthropus Island” by i. r. Nathanson 
AND OTHERS 

ALL IN THE WINTER 1931 WONDER STORIES QUARTERLY 
NOW ON ALL NEWSSTANDS 



The Conquest of Gola 




H OLA, my daughters (sighed the Mat- 
riarch) it is true indeed, I am the only 
living one upon Gola who remembers the in- 
vasion from Detaxal, I alone of all my gen- 
eration survive to recall vividly the sights 
and scenes of that past era. And well it is 
that you come to me to hear by free commun- 
ication of mind to mind face to' face with 
each other. 

Ah, well I remember the surprise of that 
hour when through the mists that enshroud 
our lovely world, there swam the first of the 
great smooth cylinders of the Detaxalans, 
fifty tas* in length, as glistening and sil- 
very as the soil of our land, propelled by 
the man-things that on Detaxal are supreme 

*Since there is no means of translating the Uolan 
measurements of either length or time we can but 
guess at these things. Howeyer, since the Detaxalan 
ships each carried a thousand men it can be seen that 
the ships were between fiTe hundred and a thousand 
feet in length. 



even as we women are supreme on Gola. 

In those bygone days, as now, Gola was 
enwrapped by her cloud mists that keep from 
us the terrific glare of the great star that 
glows like a malignant spirit out there in 
the darkness of the void. Only occasionally 
when a particularly great storm parts the 
mist of heaven do we see the wonders of the 
vast universe, but that does not prevent us, 
with our marvelous telescopes handed down 
to us from thousands of generations before 
us, from learning what lies across the dark 
seas of the outside. 

Therefore we knew of the nine planets 
that encircle the great star and are subject 
its rule. And so are we familiar enough 
with the surfaces of these planets to know 
why Gola should appear as a haven to their 
inhabitants who see in our cloud-enclosed 
mantle a sweet release from the blasting heat 



1278 





people 



repelled 



barbarians 



conquer 



We were astounded by what we saw. Geble interested berself 
only in the men, standing rigidly where our beam had caught them. 



and blinding glare of the great sun. 

So it was not strange at all to us to find 
that the people of Detaxal, the third planet 
of the sun, had arrived on our globe with a 
wish in their hearts to migrate here, and 
end their days out of reach of the blistering 
warmth that had come to be their lot on 
their own world. 

Long ago we, too, might have gone on ex- 
ploring expeditions to other worlds, other 
universes, but for what? Are we not happy 
here? We who have attained the greatest of 
civilizations wjthin the confines of our own 
silvery world. Powerfully strong with our 
mighty force rays, we could subjugate all 
the universe, but why? 

Are we not content with life as it is, with 



our lovely cities, our homes, our daughters, 
our gentle consorts? Why spend physical 
energy in combative strife for something 
we do not wish, when our mental processes 
carry us further and beyond the conquest 
of mere terrestrial exploitation? 

On Detaxal it is different, for there the 
peoples, the ignoble male creatures, breed 
for physical prowess, leaving the develop- 
ment of their sciences, their philosophies, 
and the contemplation of the abstract to a 
chosen few. The greater part of the race 
fares forth to conquer, to lay waste, to strug- 
gle and fight as the animals do over a morsel 
of worthless territory. Of course we can 
see why they desired Gola with all its treas- 
ures, but we can thank Providence and our- 



1279 





1280 



WONDER STORIES 



selves that they did not succeed in “commer- 
cializing” us as they have the remainder of 
the universe with their ignoble Federation. 

A h yes, well I recall the hour when first 
they came, pushing cautiously through 
the cloud mists, seeking that which lay be- 
neath. We of Gola 



we did not know then, but later we learned. 
Not grasping the meaning of our beam sta- 
tions, the commandants of the ships consid- 
ered the city below them entirely lacking in 
means of defense, and were conferring on the 
method of taking it without bloodshed on 
either side. 

It was not long after 



were unwarned until 
the two cylinders hung 
directly above Tola, 
the greatest city of that 
time, which still lies in 
its ruins since that me- 
morial day. But they 
have paid for it — paid 
for it well in thousands 
and in tens of thou- 
sands of their men. 

We were first ap- 
prised of their coming 
when the alarm from 
Tola was sent from the 
great beam station 
there, advising all to 
stand in readiness for 
an emergency. Geble, 
my mother, was then 
Queen of all Gola, and 
I was by her side in 
Morka, that pleasant 
seaside resort, where I 
shall soon travel again 
to partake of its re- 
juvenating waters. 

With us were four of 
Geble’s consorts, sweet 
gentle males, that gave 
Geble much pleasure 
in these free hours 
away from the worries 
of state. But when the 
word of the strangers’ 
descent over our home 



AMERICANS are fond^ 
■^^of ridiculing the cus- 
toms, habits and tempera- 
ments of people of other 
nations. Similarly other 
nations pick our peculiari- 
ties as a source of amuse- 
ment. We all think that 
what we do, think or say is 
natural and inevitable, and 
that the actions of others 
are “queer”. 

Similarly if we were to 
travel to a strange world, 
and find different forms of 
intelligent life, we would 
be monstrosities to those 
people, as much as they 
would be to vs. We would 
find it more difficult than 
we imagine to even estab- 
lish the most elementary 
form of communication, be- 
cause our mental processes 
would have practically 
nothing in common. That 
is all assuming that our 
mission is friendly. But if 
it is hostile, there is no 
doubt but that our career 
on that strange world, 
would be, as our author 
shows here, short and 
sweet. Here is a different 
and unusual story that you 
cannot help but enjoy and 
... chuckle over. 



our arrival in Tola that 
the first of the ships 
began to descend tow- 
ard the great square 
before the palace. 
Geble watched without 
a word, her great mind 
already scanning the 
brains of those whom 
she found within the 
great machine. .She 
transferred to my mind 
but a single thought as 
I stood there at her 
side and that with a 
sneer “Barbarians!” 

Now the ship was 
settling in the square 
and after a few mo- 
ments of hesitation, a 
circular doorway ap- 
peared at the side and 
four of the Detaxalans 
came through the op- 
ening. The square 
was empty but for 
themselves and their 
flyer, and we saw them 
looking about survey- 
ing the beautiful build- 
ings on all sides. They 
seemed to recognize the 
palace for what it was 
and in one accord 
moved in our direction. 

Then Geble left the 



city. Tola, came to us, all else was forgotten. 
With me at her side, Geble hastened to the 
beam station and there in the matter trans- 
mitter we dispatched our physical beings to 
the palace at Tola, and the next moment 
were staring upward at the two strange 
shapes etched against the clouds. 

What the Detaxalan ships were waiting for 



window at which we stood and strode to the 
doorway opening upon the balcony that 
faced the square. The Detaxalans halted in 
their tracks when they saw her slender grace- 
ful form appear and removing the strange 
coverings they wore on their heads they each 
made a bow. 

Again Geble sneered for only^the male- 



THE CONQUEST OF GOLA 



1281 



things of our world bow their heads, and so 
she recognized these visitors for what they 
were, nothing more than the despicable males 
of the species! And what creatures they 
were! 

Imagine a short almost flat body set high 
upon two slender legs, the body tapering 
ill the middle, several times as broad across 
as it is through the center, with two arms 
almost as long as the legs attached to the 
upper part of the torso. A small column- 
like neck of only a few inches divides the 
head of oval shape from the body, and in 
this head only are set the organs of sight, 
hearing, and scent. Their bodies were like 
a patch work of a misguided nature. 

Yes, strange as it is, 
my daughters, practically 
all of the creature’s fac- 
ulties had their base in 
the small ungainly head, 
and each organ was per- 
force pressed into serving 
for several functions. For 
instance, the breathing 
nostrils also served for 
scenting out odors, nor 
was this organ able to ex- 
clude any disagreeable 
odors that might come its 
way, but had to dispense 
to the brain both pleasant 
and unpleasant odors at 
the same time. 

Then there was the 
mouth, set directly be- 
neath the nose, and here again we had an 
example of one organ doing the work of two 
for the creature not only used the mouth 
with which to take in the food for its body, 
but it also used the mouth to enunciate the 
excruciatingly ugly sounds of its language 
forthwith. 

Guests From Detaxal 

N ever before have I seen such a poorly 
organized body, so unlike our own 
highly developed organisms. How much 
nicer it is to be able to call forth any organ 
at will, and dispense with it when its useful- 
ness is over! Instead these poor Detaxalans 



had to carry theirs about in physical being 
all the time -so that always was the surface 
of their bodies entirely marred. 

Yet that was not the only part of their 
ugliness, and proof of the lowliness of their 
origin, for whereas our fine bodies support 
themselves by muscular development, these 
poor creatures were dependent entirely upon 
a strange structure to keep them in their pro- 
per shape. 

Imagine if you can a bony skeleton some- 
what like the foundations upon which we 
build our edifices, laying stone and cement 
over the steel framework. But this skeleton 
instead is inside a body which the flesh, 
muscle and skin overlay. Everywhere in 
their bodies are these 
cartilaginous structures — 
hard, heavy, bony struc- 
tures developed by the 
chemicals of the being for 
its use. Even the hands, 
feet and head of the crea- 
tures were underlaid with 
these bones, ugh, it was 
terrible when we dissected 
lOne of the fellows for 
study. I shudder t o 
think of it. 

Yet again there was 
stil another feature of 
the Detaxalans that was 
equally as horrifying as 
the rest, namely their out- 
er covering. As we view- 
ed them for the first time 
out there in the square we discovered that 
parts of the body, that is the part of the head 
which they called the face, and the bony 
hands were entirely naked without any sort 
of covering, neither fur nor feathers, just the 
raw, pinkish-brown skin looking as if it 
had been recently plucked. 

Later we found a few specimens that had 
a type of fur on the lower part of the face, 
but these were rare. And when they doffed 
the head coverings which we had first taken 
for some sort of natural covering, we saw 
that the top of the head was overlaid with 
a very fine fuzz of fur several inches long. 

We did not know in the beginning that 
the strange covering on the bodies 0|f the 




LESLIE F. STONE 



1282 



WONDER STORIES 



itmc iBen, green in color, was not a natural 
growth, but lat» discovered 4bat such was 
the truth, and not only the face and hands 
were hare of fur, but the entire body, except 
for a fine sprinkling of hair that was scarce- 
ly visible except on the chest, was also bare. 
No wonder the poor things covered them- 
•elves with their awkward clothing. We ar- 
rived at the conclusion that their lack of fur 
had been brought about by the fact that al- 
ways they had been exposed to the bright 
rays of the sun so that without the dampness 
of our own planet the fur had dried up and 
fallen away from the flesh! 

Now thinking it over I suppose that we 
of Gola presented strange form to the peo- 
ple of Detaxal with our fine circular bodies, 
rounded at the top, our short beautiful lower 
limbs with the circular foot pads, and our 
short round arms and hand pads, flexible 
and muscularlike rubber. 

But how envious they must have been 
of our beautiful golden coats, our movable 
eyes, our power to scent, hear and touch 
with any part of the body, to absorb food 
and drink through any part of the body most 
convenient to us at any time. Oh yes, laugh 
though you may, without a doubt we were 
also freaks to those freakish Detaxalans. But 
no matter, let us return to the tale. 

On recognizing our visitors for what they 
were, simple-minded males, Geble was chag- 
rined at them for taking up her time, but 
they were strangers to our world and we 
Golans are always courteous. Geble began 
of course to try to communicate by thought 
transference, but strangely enough the fel- 
lows below did not catch a single thought. 
Instead, entirely unaware of Geble’s overture 
to friendship, the leader commenced to 
speak to her in most outlandish manner, con- 
torting the red lips of his mouth into various 
uncouth sha{>es and making sounds that fell 
upon our hearing so unpleasantly that we 
immediately closed our senses to them. And 
without a word Geble turned her back upon 
them, calling for Tanka, her personal secre- 
tary. 

T anka was instructed to welcome the 
Detaxalans while she herself turned to 
her own chambers to summon a half dozen of 



her council. When the council arrived she 
began to discuss with them the problem of 
extracting more of the precious tenix from 
the waters of the great inland lake of 
Notauch. Nothing whatever was said of the 
advent of the Detaxalans for Geble had dis- 
missed them from her mind as creatures not 
worthy of her thought. 

In the meantime Tanka had gone forth to 
meet the four who of course could not con- 
verse with her. In accordance with the 
Queen’s orders she led them indoors to the 
most informal receiving chamber and there 
had them served with food and drink which 
by the looks of the remains in the dishes 
they did not relish at all. 

Leading them through the rooms of the 
lower floor of the palace she made a pre- 
tence of showing them everything which 
they duly surveyed. But they appeared to 
chafe at the manner in which th^ were be- 
ing entertained. 

The creatures even made an attempt 
through the primitive method of conversing 
by their arms to learn something of what 
they had seen, but Tanka was as supercilious 
as her mistress. When she thought they 
had had enough, she led them to the square 
and back to the door of their flyer, giving 
them their dismissal. 

But the men were not ready to accept it. 
Instead they tried to express to Tanka their 
desire to meet the ruling head of Gola. Al- 
though their hand motions were pierfectly 
inane and incomprehensible. Tanka could 
read what passed through their brains, and 
understood more fully than they what lay 
in their minds. She shook her head and 
motioned that they were to embark in their 
flyer and be on their way back to their 
planet. 

Again and again the Detaxalans tried to 
explain what they wished, thinking Tanka 
did not understand. At last she impressed 
upon their savage minds that there was noth- 
ing for them but to depart, and disgruntled 
by her treatment they reentered their ma- 
chine, closed its ponderous door and raised 
their ship to the level of its sister flyer. Sev- 
eral minutes passed and then, with thanks- 
giving, we saw them pass over the city. 

Told of this, Geble laughed. “To think 



THE CONQUEST OF COLA 



1283 



mere man-things daring to attempt to force 
themselves upon us. What is the universe 
coming to? What are their women back 
home considering when they sent them to us. 
Have they developed too many males and 
think that we can find use for them?” she 
wanted to know. 

“It is strange indeed,” observed Yabo, 
one of the council members. “What did 
you find in the minds of these ignoble crea- 
tures, 0 August One?” 

“Nothing of particular interest, a very 
low grade of intelligence, to be sure. There 
was no need of looking below the surface.” 

“It must have taken intelligence to build 
those ships.” 

“None aboard them did that. I don’t 
question it but that their mothers built the 
ships for them as a playthings, even as we 
give toys to our Tittle ones,’ you know. I 
recall that the ancients of our world per- 
fected several types of space-flyers many 
ages ago!” 

“Maybe those males do not have 
‘mothers’ but instead they build the ships 
themselves, maybe they are the stronger sex 
on their world!” This last was said by 
Suiki, the fifth consort of Geble, a pretty 
little male, rather young in years. No one 
had noticed his coming into the chamber, 
but now everyone showed their surprise at 
his words. 

“Impossible!” ejaculated Yabo. 

Geble however laughed at the little chap’s 
expression. “Suiki is a profound thinker,” 
she observed, still laughing, and she drew 
him to her gently hugging him. 

A Nice Business Deal 

A nd with that the subject of the men 
from Detaxal was closed. It was reopen- 
ed, however, several hours later when it was 
learned that instead of leaving Gola alto- 
gether the ships were seen one after another 
by the various cities of the planet as they 
circumnavigated it. 

It was rather annoying, for everywhere 
the cities’ routines were broken up as the 
people dropped their work aiid studies to 
gaze at the cylinders. Too, it was upsetting 
the morale of the males, for on learning 



that the two ships contained only creatures 
of their own sex they were becoming en- 
vious, wishing for the same type of play- 
things for themselves. 

Shut in, as they are, unable to grasp the 
profundities of our science and thought, the 
gentle, fun-loving males were always glad 
for a new diversion, and this new method 
developed by the Detaxalans had intrigued 
them. 

It was then that Geble decided it high 
time to take matters into her own hands. 
Not knowing where the two ships were at 
the moment it was not difficult with the ob- 
ject-finder beam to discover their where- 
abouts, and then with the attractor to draw 
them to Tola magnetically. An ous later 
wc had the pleasure of seeing the two ships 
rushing toward our city. When they ar- 
rived about it, power brought them down to 
the square again. 

Again Tanka was sent out, and directed 
the commanders of the two ships to follow 
her in to the Queen. Knowing the futility 
of attempting to converse with them without 
mechanical aid, Geble caused to be brought 
her three of the ancient mechanical thought 
transformers that are only museum pieces 
t > us but still workable. The two men were 
directed to place them on their heads while 
she donned the third. When this was done 
she ordered the creatures to depart immed- 
iately from Gola, telling them that she was 
tired of their play. 

Watching the faces of the two I saw them 
frowning and shaking their heads. Of course 
I could read their thoughts as well as Geble 
without need of the transformers, since it 
was only for their benefit that these were 
used, so I heard the whole conversation, 
though I need only to give you the gist of 
it. 

“We have no wish to leave your world as 
yet,” the two had argued. 

“You are disrupting the routine of our 
lives here,” Geble told them, “and now that 
you’ve seen all that you can there is no 
need for you to stay longer. I insist that you 
leave immediately.” 

I saw one of the men smile, and thereupon 
he was the one who did all the talking (I 



1284 



WONDER STORIES 



say “talking” for this he was actually doing, 
mouthing each one of his words although 
we understood his thoughts as they formed 
ill his queer brain, so different from ours). 

“Listen here,” he laughed, “I don’t get the 
hang of you people at all. We came to 
Gola (he used some outlandish name of his 
own, but I use our name of course) 'with 
the express purpose of exploration and ex- 
ploitation. We come as friends. Already 
we are in alliance jtith Damin (again the 
name for the fourth planet of our system 
was different, but I give the correct appela- 
tion), established commerce and trade, and 
now we are ready to offer you the chance to 
join our federation peaceably. 

“What we have seen of this world is very 
favorable, there are good prospects for busi- 
ness here. There is no reason why you 
people as those of Damin and Detaxal can 
not enter into a nice business arrangement 
congenially. You have far more here to 
offer tourists, more than Damin. Why, ei- 
cept for your clouds this would be an ideal 
paradise for every man, woman and child 
on Detaxal and Damin to visit, and of course 
with our new cloud dispensers we could 
clear your atmosphere for you in short order 
and keep it that way. Why you’ll make mil- 
lions in the first year of your trade. 

“Come now, allow us to discuss this with 
your ruler — king or whatever you call him. 
Women are all right in their place, but it 
takes the men to see the profit of a thing 
like this — er — you are a woman aren’t you?” 

T he first of his long speech, of course, 
was so much gibberish to us, with his 
prate of business arrangements, ^commerce 
and trade, tourists, profits, cloud disp>ensers 
and what not, but it was the last part of 
what he said that took iny breath away, and 
you can imagine how it affected Geble. I 
could see straightway that she was intense- 
ly angered, and good reason too. By the 
looks of the silly fellow’s face I could guess 
that he was getting the full purport of her 
thoughts. He began to shuffle his funny 
feet and a foolish grin pervaded his face. 

“Sorry,” he said, “if I insulted yon — I 
didn’t intend that, but 1 believed that man 
bolds the same place here as he does on 



Detaxal and Damin, but I suppose it is just 
as possible for woman to be t^ ruling fac- 
tor of a world as man is elsewhere.” 

That speech naturally made Geble more 
irate, and tearing off her thought trans- 
former she left the room without another 
word. In a moment, however, Yabo ap- 
peared wearing the transform^' in her place. 
Yabo had none of the beauty of my mother, 
for whereas Geble was slender and as 
straight as a rod Yabo was obese, and her 
fat body overflowed until she looked like a 
large dumpy bundle of yat held together in 
her furry skin. She had very little dignity 
as she waddled toward the Detaxalans, but 
there was determination in her whole manner 
and without preliminaries she began to scold 
the two as though they were her own con- 
sorts. 

“There has been enough of this, my fine 
young men,” she shot at them. “You’ve had 
your fun, and now it is time for you to return 
to your mothers and consorts. Shame on 
you for making up such miserable tales 
about yourselves. I have a good mind to 
take you home with me for a couple of days, 
and I’d put you in your places quick enough. 
The idea of men acting like you are!” 

For a moment I thought the Detaxalans 
were going to cry by the faces they made, 
but instead they broke into laughter, such 
heathenish sounds as had never before been 
heard on Gola, and I listened in wonder in- 
stead of excluding it from my hearing, but 
the fellows sobered quickly enough at that, 
and the spokesman addressed the shocked 
Yabo. 

“I see,” said he, “it’s impossible for your 
people and mine to arrive at an understand- 
ing peaceably. I’m sorry that you take us 
for children out on a spree, that you are 
accustomed to such a low type of men as is 
evidently your lot here. 

“I have given you your chance to accept 
our terms without force, but since you re- 
fuse, under the orders of the Federation I 
will have to take you forcibly, for we are 
determined that Gola become one of us, if 
you like it or not. Then you will learn 
that we are not the children you believe us 
to be. 

“You may go to your supercilious Queen 



THE CONQUEST OF COLA 



128S 



HOW and advise her that we give you exactly 
ten hours in which to evacuate this city, for 
precisely on the hour we will lay this city in 
ruins. And if that does not suffice you we 
will do the sanse with every other city on 
the planet! Remember ten hours!” 

And with that he took the mechanical 
thought transformer from his head and 
tossed it on the table. His companion did 
the same and the two of them strode out of 
the room and to their flyers which arose 
several thousand feet above Tola and re- 
mained there. 

The Triumph of Gola 

H urrying into Geble, Yabo told her 

what the Detaxalan had said. Geble 
was reclining on her couch and did not both- 
e*' to raise herself. 

“Childish prattle,” she conceded and with- 
drew her red eyes on their movable stems 
into their pockets, paying no more heed to 
the threats of the men from Detaxal. 

I, however, could not be as calm as my 
mother, and I was fearful that it was not 
childish prattle after all. Not knowing 
how long ten hours might be I did not wait, 
but crept up to the palace’s beam station 
and set its dials so that the entire building 
and as much of the surrounding territory it 
could cover were protected in the force zone. 

Alas that the same beam was not greater. 
But it had not been put there for defense, 
only for matter transference and whatever 
other peacetime methods we used. It was 
the means of proving just the same that it 
was also a very good defensive instrument, 
for just two ous later the hovering ships 
above let loose their powers of destruction, 
heavy explosives that entirely demolished 
all of Tola and its millions of people and 
only the palace royal of all that beauty was 
left standing! 

Awakened ffom her nap by the terrific 
detonation, Geble came hurriedly to a win- 
dow to view the ruin, and she was wild with 
grief at what she saw. Geble, however, saw 
that there was urgent need for action. She 
knew without my telling her what I had done 
to protect the palace. And though she 
showed no sign of appreciation, I knew that 



1 had won a greater place in her regard than 
any other of her many daughters and would 
henceforth be her favorite as well as her 
successor as the case turned out. 

Now, with me behind, her, she hurried to 
the beam station and in a twinkling we were 
both in Tubia, the second greatest chy of 
that time. Nor were we to be caught nap- 
ping again, for Geble ordered all beam sta- 
tions to throw out their zone forces while 
she herself manipulated one of Tubia’s 
greatest power beams, attuning it to the 
emanations of the two Detaxalan flyers. In 
less than a ous the two ships were seen 
through the mists heading for Tubia. For 
a moment 1 grew fearful, but on realizing 
that they wpre after all in our grip, and the 
attractors held every living thing powerless 
against movement, I grew calm and watched 
them come over the city and the beam pull 
them to the ground. « 

With the beam still upon them, they lay 
supine on the ground without motion. Des- 
cending to the square Geble called for Ray 
C, and when the machine arrived she herself 
directed the cutting of the hole in the side 
of the flyer and was the first to enter it with 
me immediately behind, as usual. 

We were both astounded by what we saw 
of the great array of machinery within. But 
a glance told Geble all she wanted to know 
of their principles. She interested herself 
only in the men standing rigidly in what- 
ever position our beam had caught them. 
Only the eyes of the creatures expressed 
their fright, poor things, unable to move so 
much as a hair while we moved among them 
untouched by the power of the beam because 
of the strength of our own minds. 

They could have fought against it if they 
had known how, but their simple minds were 
too weak for such exercise. 

Now glancing about among the stiff forms 
around us, of which there were one thous- 
and, Geble picked out those of the males 
she desired for observation, choosing those 
she judged to be their finest specimens, those 
with much hair on their faces and having 
more girth than the others. These she or- 
dered removed by several workers who fol- 
lowed us, and then we emerged again to the 
outdoors. 



1286 



WONDER STORIES 



Using hand beam torches the picked speci- 
mens were kept immobile after they were 
out of reach of the greater beam and were 
borne into the laboratory of the building 
Geble had converted into her new palace. 
Geble and I followed, and she gave the or- 
der for the complete annihilation of the two 
powerless ships. 

T hus ended the first foray of the people 
of Detaxal. And for the next two teU 
there was peace upon our globe again. In 
the laboratory the thirty who had been res- 
cued from their ships were given thorough 
examinations both physically and mentally 
and we learned all there was to know about 
them. Hearing of the destruction of their 
ships, most of the creatures had become 
frightened and were quite docile in our 
hands. Those that were unruly were used 
in the dissecting room for the advancement 
of Golan knowledge. 

After a complete study of them which 
yielded little we lost interest in them scienti- 
fically. Geble, however found some pleas- 
ure in having the poor creatures around her 
and kept three of them in her own chambers 
so she could delve into their brains as she 
pleased. The others she doled out to her 
favorites as she saw fit. 

One she gave to me to act as a slave or 
in what capacity I desired him, but my in- 
terest in him soon waned, especially since 
I had now come of age and was allowed to 
have two consorts of my own, and go about 
the business of bringing my daughters into 
the world. 

My slave I called Jon and gave him com- 
plete freedom of my house. If only we had 
forseen what was coming we would have 
annihilated every one of them immediately! 
It did please me later to find that Jon was 
learning our language and finding a place 
in my household, making friends with my 
two shut-in consorts. But as I have said I 
paid little attention to him. 

So life went on smoothly with scarcely a 
change after the destruction of the ships of 
Detaxal. But that did not mean we were 
unprepared for more. Geble reasoned that 
there would be more ships forthcoming when 
the Detaxalans found that their first two did 



not return. So, although it was sometimes 
inconvenient, the zones of force were kept 
upon our cities. 

And Geble was right, for the day came 
when dozens of flyers descended upon Gola 
from DetaxaU But this time the zones of 
force did not hold them since the zones 
were not in operation! 

And we were unwarned, for when they 
descended upon us, our world was sleeping, 
confident that our zones were our protection. 
The first indication that I had of trouble 
brewing was when awakening I found the 
ugly form of Jon bending over me. Sur- 
prised, for it was not his habit to arouse 
me, 1 started up only to find his arms about 
me, embracing me. And how strong he 
was! For the moment a new emotion swept 
me, for the first time I knew the pleasure 
to be had in the arms of a strong man, but 
that emotion was short lived for I saw in 
the blue eyes of my slave that he had rec- 
ognized the look in my eyes for what it was, 
and for the moment he was tender. 

Later I was to grow angry when I thought 
of that expression of his, for his eyes filled 
with pity, pity for me! But pity did not 
stay, instead he grinned and the next instant 
he was binding me down to my couch with 
strong rope. Geble, I learned later, had 
been treated as I, as were the members of 
the council and every other woman in Gola! 

T hat was what came of allowing our 
men to meet on common ground with 
the creatures from Detaxal, for a weak mind 
is open to seeds of 'rebellion and the Deta- 
xalans had sown it well, promising domin- 
ance to the lesser creatures of Gola. 

That, however, was only part of the plot 
on the part of the Detaxalans. They were 
determined not only to revenge those we 
had murdered, but also to gain mastery of 
our planet. Unnoticed by us they had con- 
structed a machine which transmits sound 
as we transmit thought and by its means had 
communicated with their own world, advis- 
ing them of the very hour to strike when all 
of Gola was slumbering. It was a masterful 
stroke, only they did not know the power 
of the mind of Gola — so much more ancient 
than theirs. 



THE CONQUEST OF COLA 



1287 



Lyiag there bound on my couch I was able 
to see out the window and trembling with 
terror I watched a half dozen Detaxalan fly- 
ers descend into Tubia, guessing that the 
same was happening in our other cities. I 
was truly frightened, for I did not have the 
brain of a Geble. I was young yet, and in 
fea'r I watched the hordes march out of their 
machines, saw the thousands of our men 
join them. 

Free from restraint, the shut-ins were hav- 
ing their holiday and how they cavorted out 
in the open, most the time getting in the way 
of the freakish Detaxalans who were certain- 
ly taking over our city. 

A half ous passed while I lay there watch- 
ing, waiting in fear at what the Detaxalans 
planned to do with us. I remembered the 
pleasant, happy life we had led up to the 
present and trembled over what the future 
might be when the Detaxalans had infested 
us with commerce amd trade, business pro- 
positions, tourists and all of their evil prac- 
tices. It was then that I received the mes- 
sage from Geble, clear and definite, just as 
all the women of the globe received it, and 
hope returned to my heart. 

There began that titanic struggle, the 
fight for supremacy, the fight that won us 
victory over the simple-minded weaklings 
below who had presumptuously dared to con- 
quer us. The first indications that the pow- 
er of our combined mental conceiitration at 
Geble’s orders was taking effect was when 
we saw the first of our males halt in their 
wild dance of freedom. They tried to shake 
us off, but we knew we could bring them 
back to us. 

At first the Detaxalans paid them no heed. 
They knew not what was happening until 
there came the wholesale retreat of the Golan 
men back to the buildings, back to the cham- 
bers from which they had escaped. Then 
grasping something of what was happening 
the already defeated invaders sought to re- 
tain their hold on our little people. Our 
erstwhile captives sought to hold them with 
oratorical gestures, but of course we won. 
We saw our creatures return to us amd un- 
bind us. 

Only the Detaxalams did not guess the sig- 



nificance of that, did not realize that inas- 
much as we had conquered our own men, 
we could conquer them also. As they went 
about their work of making our city their 
own, establishing already their autocratic 
bureaus wherever they pleased, we began to 
concentrate upon them, hypnotizing them 
t.i the flyers that had disgorged them. 

And soon they begam to feel of our power, 
the weakest ones first, feeling the mortal 
bewilderment creeping upon them. Their 
leaders, stronger in mind, knew nothing of 
this at first, but soon our terrible combined 
mental power was forced upon them also 
and they realized that their men were de- 
serting them, crawling back to their ships! 
The leaders began to exhort them into new 
action, driving them physically. But our 
power gained on them and now we began to 
concentrate upon the leaders themselves. 
They were strong of will and they defied us, 
fough't us, mind against mind, but of course 
it was useless. Their minds were not suited 
to the test they put themselves too, and after 
almost three ous of struggle, we of Gola were 
able to see victory ahead. 

At last the leaders succumbed. Not a sin- 
gle Detaxalan was abroad in the avenues. 
They were within their flyers, held there by 
our combined wills, unable to aict for them- 
selves. It was then as easy for us to switch 
the zones of force upon them, subjugaUe them 
more securely and with the annihilator beam 
to disintegrate completely every ship and 
man into nothingness! Thousands upon 
thousands died that day and Gola was indeed 
revenged. 

Thus, my daughters, ended the second in- 
vasion of Gola. 

Oh yes, more came from their planet to 
discover what had happened to tlieir ships 
and their men, but we of Gola no longer 
hesitated, and they no sooner appeared be- 
neath the mists than they too were annihila- 
ted until at last Detaxal gave up the thought 
of coaquering our cloud-laden world. Per- 
haps in the future they will attempt it again, 
but we are always in readiness for them 
now, and our men — well they are still the 
same ineffectual weaklings, my daugh- 
ters . . . 



THE END 



Great Green Things 



By Thomas H. Knight 




M ac RANDALL lounged in a chair in 
his room, his feet upon the table, his 
long slim pipe emitting vast clouds of smoke. 
Over in the window upon the wide sill sat 
his friend, Edwin Ray, idly and somewhat 
crossly tapping his fingers upon the window 
screen as he gazed out over San Francisco’s 
bay. 

“So you don’t believe, Mac,” challenged 
Edwin across the room, “that there are in- 
sects or bugs in the world as big as a small 



man? That hese ugly, ferocious things 
run around on two legs and stand up the 
size of a pigmy?” 

Mac hesitated a moment before he ans- 
wered, then he said; “Ed, let’s talk about 
something else. I hate to see you getting 
this way, old timer. You musn’t let your 
love of entomology go to your head. Don’t 
let it actually get you ‘bugs’ ...” 

“I wish I could show you,” interrupted 
Edwin. “I wish — I wish ...” He 



1288 




Across his body, backward and forward a number of the things 
hopped. His body was becoming covered by a network of yellow 
strands. 



paused and, looking from the window again, 
lapsed into silence, thinking. 

The two men had been close friends ever 
since the war, and now Mac was worried 
about his pal. This was not the first time 
Edwin had spoken so foolishly of insects, 
enormous only in his own mind, and Mac 
did not like it. He arose from his chair 
and took a turn about the room. 

Tall, straight and broad, Mac had, during 
those days of hate in 1940, piloted a fighting 



Kling across the air lanes of Eurasia and 
had come home with a double handful of 
medals to his credit. And while he had 
been hearing the “zing!” of bullets through 
his wings above, Edwin had been doing his 
bit — a good, stout “bit” — down below in 
the mud. 

Since the war Mac had indulged his love 
for aviation in one form or another, for- 
tunately having the necessary means; while 
Edwin had gone in for science — chiefly 



1289 





1290 



WONDER STORIES 



bugs. Bugs! Mac didn’t like it. Edwin 
had bugs on the brain! 

“Mac,” began Edwin again, strategi- 
cally taking up without his friend’s realiza- 
tion the subject of bugs as large as little 
men, “tell me about your new plane.” 

Mac took the bait at once. If “bugs” 
were Edwin’s weeikness, certainly the air 
was Mac’s. 

“Ed, it’s the best 
plane I’ve ever flown,” ^ 
he announced whole- 
heartedly. “I’m rath- 
er nutty about it All 
metal, you know. Only 
one motor, but a beau- 
tiful thing of power 
and flexibility. Fine 
large cabin. Boy! I’d 
take her anywhere.” 

“What have you on 
your schedule for the 
next week or so?” ask- 
ed Edwin, following up 
his strategy and clear- 
ing the way for the 
plans h e had just 
formed. 

“Not a thing. Would 
you like a trip some- 
where?” 

“Yes. Got a map?” 

“Scads of ’em.” 

In a few moments 
Edwin was pointing to 
a spot in the upper 
portion of Brazil just 
a little above the Rio 
Negro. “I’ve got it 
plotted out to a dot on 
a big map I have at 
home, Mac,” be ex- 
plained, “but speaking 
roughly, how would . , 
you plan to fly from Frisco to right here 
where my finger rests?” 

“Easy. Hop down along the coast and 
make our last filling at Panama Field,” ans- 
wered Mac, measuring with a practiced eye. 
“My plane is equipped with land gear and 
jwntoon combination. I’d make the Rio 
Negro the next leg — (it looks about eight 



hundred miles) — and stay there overnight. 
Then I’d cross this Sierra Parima mountain 
range here next morning and land on your 
spot — ^that is if a guy can land — in about 
two hours.” 

“Mac, if you’ll take me there I believe I 
can prove to you that there are insects as 
large as small men!” 



XPLORERS returning 
from remote parts of 
the globe have from time 






o time reported seeing 
strange and almost unbe- 
lievable forms of life'. 
Usually the stories of these 
men are met with polite 
yawns from conservative 
authorities, who remark to 
themselves on the effect of 
tropical heat on the senses, 
etc. 

It is quite within proba- 
bility that in isolated sec- 
tions, a struggle for exis- 
tence might have gone on 
among the various forms of 
life, and one type might 
have emerged supreme and 
triumphant. With undis- 
puted sway over its domain, 
that type may have devel- 
oped intelligence and to a 
certain extent a control 
over its environment simi- 
lar to that developed by 
man. 

You are invited by our 
author to believe that this 
might occur, and in a man- 
ner such as he relates. He 
tells the story, it is thrill- 
ing. To believe it or not is 
your privilege. 



M ac was silent. 

He was* disap- 
pointed. He had not 
thought Edwin was still 
on the subject of bugs. 
“Ed, you’re an idiot! 
This thing has got 
you,” he exclaimed 
when at ia^ he spoke. 
Then, with another 
thought appealing to 
him he went on, “but 
I’d like that flight all 
right, and it’ll get, your 
mind straight again 
maybe. Anyway, it 
would do us both good. 
Let’s make our plans.” 
“You make your 
plans about the plane, 
Mac,” agreed Edwin, 
“but let me tell you 
what you must take. 
Take along a good 
high-powered rifle, 
also a pistol oir each 
hip ; I’m going to. You 
don’t know what we 
might find down there. 
Because I know of 
some of the things 
those jungles do hold, 
it makes me wonder 
what else lurks in the 



forests. You might say 
these swamps and jungles are almost com- 
pletely unexplored. No telling what we 
may run up on. Not just in insects hut in 
animals. Mac, did you know that during 
the Coal Age dragon-flies had wings two feet 
across?” 

“No. I didn’t. And my ignorande makes 
no difference anyway. Your idea is dll bosh. 



GREAT GREEN THINGS 



1291 



But I’ll take a rifle and a pair of gats simply 
because I like to have those things around. 
Would you also recommend a machine gun 
and a poison gas outfit — or a tank?” 

I Eldwin paid no heed to Mac’s friendly sar- 
casm, but in just a little while both young 
men would have given everything they pos- 
sessed for those same impossible articles of 
war. 

It was not many days before Mac’s sturdy 
plane lightly lifted from the field at Pana- 
ma and presented came over the dense jun- 
gles of South America where, beneath them, 
they saw Mother Earth spread out like a 
thick green carpet. Here and there a river, 
winding and treacherous, broke through the 
green blanket to be seen 
for a moment and then 
lost. 

Tall, bare peaks reach- 
ed for the skies, while 
deep chasms with spark- 
ling falls of far tumbling 
water showed bright be- 
neath them. Then they 
planed over the black 
Rio Negro, that thick- 
looking river of tar. Mac 
adjusted the pontoons in- 
to position now instead of 
his wheels and, aided in 
his judgment of distance 
by a ripple on the dark 
surface, put her smoothly 
down. 

They rose with the sun 
next morning and, leaving the river, crossed 
the Sierra Parima range, flying east and 
north. Edwin had his map across his knees 
and in a little while he said, “Set her down 
anywhere you can now, Mac. These are 
the forests we were in when I came with 
Doc Winters and his party. Here’s where 
they are.” 

“Put her down?” mocked Mac. “Where?” 
On which particular tree-top do you suggest 
we drape our . . . ? By Jimminy! there’s 
a lake, though, at that. Let’s swing around 
and see if we can get in on it.” 

He dipped for the lake, a circular green 
spot in the dense jungles. Then as they 
came in low again for the landing, Eldwin 



cried excitedly, “Take her away! That’s 
not water. Holy smoke, Mac, that’s grass!” 

“Whew!” whistled Mac as he gave the en- 
gine the gun. “That was a close one! I 
had the wheels drawn up, the pontoons 
down. Wouldn’t this particular part of 
South America have made a messy mess of 
us?” 

They swung over the green circle below 
them the second time. Then, skilfully hand- 
ling the big ship into the restricted space, 
Mac landed, his plane taxiing through the 
thick grass and coming to a stop on the 
edge of the circle almost against the trees 
of the forest. 

“We’re here, Ed,” he announced. “We’re 
in. Pretty good! I be- 
lieve we can get off when 
it comes to 'it. That’ll he 
good, too. If we can’t, 
we’ll have to walk out and 
leave the ship behind. 
You know what that’ll be. 
Come on, hop out, and 
let’s swing her tail around 
all ready for a getaway.” 
They jumped from the 
cabin and swung the 
plane around. Then for 
a little while they inves-. 
ligated the opening in the 
forest where they had set- 
tled. They went back into 
the plane, and after some 
food and thermos bottle 
refreshments — (for lack 
of anything better to do) — fell to talking of 
their trip. It was still early morning. 

“We’ll stick around a bit,” said Mac a lit- 
tle later, “but we’ll pull out of here in plenty 
of time to make the river before nightfall. I 
don’t like your jungle, Ed. It’s creepy. I 
don’t see a moving, living thing. But I bet 
that black tangle of trees holds everything 
from snakes to lizards.” 

“I don’t know what family these bugs be- 
long to,” said Edwin in a low voice, enlarg- 
ing upon Mac’s train of thought. “That’s 
why I should like to take a specimen back 
with us. 1 have an idea they are a species of 
giant Pulchriphyllium bioculiUum, more 
commonly known as ‘Walking Leaf’. You 




THOMAS H. KNIGHT 



1292 



WONDER STORIES 



loniw, nataraHstB claim that years ago some 
vertebrates kept growing larger and larger 
in their fight for existence and their protec- 
tion from each other until they finally disap- 
peared. Perhaps these insects down here 
are doing the same thing.” 

Besieged! 

M ac said nothing. There were, of 
course, no such giant insects. On 
this one thing poor old Edwin was off and 
Mac, his friend, was sorry about it. They 
sat silent for a long while, Mac wondering 
how long before it would be safe to suggert 
pulling away. But they were not to go yet! 

Everything was eis silent as death. Not 
the faintest quiver of a breeze stirred the 
dark wall of foliage about them. Not a 
whisper or sign of any form of life, despite 
their silence, had they seen. The sun 
beamed upon them and their ship. It was 
hot with a close-pressing heat. And yet 
Mac experienced a chill of dislike, mixed 
with not a little fear, for the clammy, tomb- 
like spot. 

Suddenly Mac feh Edwin’s warning hand 
upon his knee. “Don’t give a sign, Mac!” 
he whispered. “Turn your head slowly. 
Look! Over near the trees on the right!” 
Mac looked. “Don’t see a thing,” he mut- 
tered from the comer of his mouth. 

“That big leaf!” 

“Yes. I see that. X<ooks like a big ele- 
phant-ear plant or whatever we call ’em back 
home,” he agreed. “Bnt that’s nothing.” 
“You bet it is!” insisted E!d. “It wasn’t 
there two minutes ago!” 

Mac looked again. The plant, with its 
big leaf divided down the middle, looked to 
him a great deal like a large bird. Per- 
haps a heron. The two halves of the leaf 
looked like the two wings covering the body 
The stalk of the plant, protruding below, 
even looked like legs. But there was no 
neck, no head. The plant was absolutely 
motionless. Certainly it was nothing to get 
excited about. 

“Aw rats!” exploded Mac in disgust. 
“Watch it!” commanded Edwin. “I’ve 
seen them before. I know!” 

So Mac watched it for a while longer, 



then his interest and his gaze wandered, ft 
was time to be going. Edwin was appar- 
ently losing his mind. Mac was Just about 
ready to say he was pulling out when again 
his pal’s hand fell upon his knee. 

“Look!” he whispered in a hiss. Mac 
obeyed. And as he did his blood ran cold; 
prickles of surprise and horror ran up his 
spine. The hair on his head tingled his 
scalp. 

The leaf had moved ! It was standing up- 
right upon two squat l^s. From some- 
where in its hideous green, slimy body k 
had thrust out an even more hideous head. 
A head upon which a face was formed of 
great hanging beak and bulbous, staring 
eyes! 

The creature stood gazing at the plane 
that had, like a -still more enormous insect, 
invaded its domain. Then, while the two 
men watched spellbound, it slowly advanced 
toward them. 

“Ed,” whispered Mac quietly reaching 
for his sporting Army Springfield, “tel! me 
something about ’em. Pm sorry I doubted 
you. I apologize absolutely. They’re 
worse than you said they were. They’re 
devilish! Ugh! Where should a fellow 
shoot? In the face or through the body? 
Have they a heart?” 

“Yes. Insects have what passes for a 
heart,” whispered Edwin, grilled almost in- 
to inability to act at sight of this great speci- 
men. “That one’s heart most likely lies, as 
he now faces us, near the surface of hk 
back. But a bullet from your rifle would 
go through fifty of them. Don’t shoot, 
though. Let’s look him over.” 

“You’ll have your chance before this par- 
ty’s over,” grimly answered Mac. “They’re 
coming out the forest by the dozen now.” 

“My gosh, Mac, by the hundreds! May- 
be we’d better start up and get away. Look! 
There’s a horde of them. Suppose they 
should swarm all over us like ants ovct- 
whelm a beetle!” 

Just at that moment a multi-colored par- 
rot — perhaps alarmed by the movement of 
the green creatures — broke from the trees 
and flew toward the plane. Instantly one 
of the horde sprang a full twenty feet into 
the air. Its long aims and talon-like claws 



GREAT GREEN THINGS 



1293 



clutched the bird with lightning-like vora- 
city, and even as the green beast fell back 
to the grass it had thrust the parrot into its 
loose-hanging niouth. One gulp and it was 
gone, feathers and legs and tail! 

Mac reached for his starter. But before 
he could turn the engine over, five or six 
of the things had hopped up onto the wing 
of the plane. 

“Thank your stars, Ed,” he said as he 
turned off his switch again, “that we’re all 
metal. I’m afraid Jo start the propeller 
now. It’s metal, of course, but I don’t want 
to risk those devils flying into it. We’ll 
just have to wait until they’ve looked us 
over and passed on.” 

Tbey could hear the things up on their 
wing, could hear the clamping of those hor- 
rid mouths as they attempted to bite through 
the aluminum alloy metal. 

“How about our tires?” reminded Ed. 
“Gosh, yest” agreed Mac, at once admit- 
ting his plane’s weakness. “You lean out 
your door and shoot ’em away from your 
tire. I’ll keep ’em off my ...” 

"Crack!” Mac’s rifle cut short his words 
as his first bullet through the face of one 
of the things saved his tire for the moment. 

E DWIN’S rifle was a highly prized thir- 
ty-ei^t Winchester, and his first bul- 
let, clean through the body, proved as ef- 
fective as Mac’s head shot. 

After that they fired as rapidly as they 
could operate their weapons. A moment or 
two ago they had had no warning of danger. 
Mac had even not believed that such crea- 
tures existed. But now, with the advent of 
their hideous nimibers, they realized that 
swarming death assailed them. Almost ev- 
ery shot counted, but still the horde marched 
on. They swarmed upon the wing and upon 
the body of the plane until Mac beci^ne 
alarmed as to whether or not the wing 
could stand the strain. He opened a door in 
the roof of the cabin, and, firing rapidly, 
dropped a number of the green bodies from 
the wii^. Then just in time he lowered his 
head and slammed shut the door. A dozen 
of the beasts had pounced at him 1 

"E6” he said, openly admitting their 
plight, “we’re in a had way. They’ve got 



brains — those slimy devils! — and they use 
’em. They jumped at me.” 

Just as he spoke the disaster they feared 
overtook them, for there came from their 
landing gear two separate explosions. The 
men looked at each other, their faces pale. 

“Gone! Now we’re on our rims. Can’t 
get out on flats through this thick grass,” 
Mac said simply. 

“Danm them!” cursed Edwin through 
clenched teeth, leaning far from his cabin 
door and pumping his Winchester at the 
great insects still gnawing at the tire on his 
side. His anger was his undoing. The 
giiuit things flung themselves upon his head 
and shoulders from above, and, as he top- 
pled out the cabin, more of the beasts seized 
him from beneath the plane. In an instant 
Edwin was covered with them. 

Mac shut his door, then sprang out after 
his friend. He drew the two pistols and, 
following Edwin closely, shot the things 
away from him so that he was able to regain 
his feet. Edwin fought bravely, swinging 
his rifle with telling effect. Mac felt them 
swarming upon his own shoulders until he 
was forced to shoot himself free of the dev- 
ilish things. 

Then Edwin was down again, driven to 
earth by the ferocious insects that pounced 
and hopped from every direction. Mac 
fought his way back to the plane, his onpty 
pistols and his fists sinking into the soft 
faces before him. 

In the cabin again he feverishly reloaded 
and fired, pouring shot after shot into the 
green bodies dragging Edwin away. But he 
could not check that mass of clinging, 
swarming devils that, before his horrified 
eyes, dragged off his friend. When his rifle 
stretched out a giant insect, three pounced 
in to take its place. 

Mac waited then, his Springfield ready, to 
do for his pal if opportunity offered, the 
only thing left. He was determined, with 
a bullet, to save Edwin from the torture of 
their terrible mouths. But not until the 
great green things had their victim some 
fifty yards in front of the plane did Mac ob- 
tain a glimpse of him, and then, because of 
the movements of the things, Mac held that 
merciful bullet. 



1294 



WONDER STORIES 



Edwin was flung flat on his back on the 
grass, and across his body, backward and 
forward, a number of the filthy things hop- 
ped and strode. At first Mac could not 
understand. Not until he saw that Edwin’s 
body was becoming covered this way and 
that by a network of yellowish strands did 
he realize that the green things were weav- 
ing a net across their captive, securely tying 
him down to the long grass. Then they left 
him. Left him, decided Mac, until they 
were more ready for their horrible feast 
than they were just at present. 

He groaned aloud in his plight. What 
could he do? He cursed his utter helpless- 
ness. What could he try? Even if he had 
box after box of ammunition for the Spring- 
field he could not hope to shoot away the 
thousand brutes still surrounding him. But 
his ammunition was running short. There 
were still a lot of Edwin’s cartridges, but 
the rifle Edwin so treasured was fifty feet 
from the plane. And fifty feet . . . 

Strategy! 

HAT coidd he do? He racked his 
brain, looking around the cabin of 
the plane for inspiration. He had rope. 
How could he use that? He thought of the 
things he might be able to use — if he only 
had them! A machine gun. Hand gren- 
ades. Dynamite. Poison gas. Oh, what 
was the use! All he could do was save one 
bullet for Edwin and then, after he had 
pioved his engine’s inability to get him out, 
to starve to death in his cabin, or to fling 
himself — insane — into their waiting mouths. 

“I wonder,” he said aloud, “how tough 
that web is across Ed? I’ve got to find out 
if I can, ’cause I’m going to try to cut him 
loose if it’s the last thing I do.” 

He took his rope and made a running 
noose in the end. Watching his chance he’ 
dropped it about one of the big insects and 
dragged it to him. 

He lifted the enormous bug into the cabin, 
fighting down its clawing talons, avoiding 
its snapping mouth, and securely wrapping 
it in his rope. Trussed and bound he flung 
it on the floor of the cabin. And there the 
creature, helpless and fear-filled, exuded 



from its body the ropish material with which 
Edwin was bound. 

Mac watched it harden. Then he tested it. 
It was tough and strong to the pull, but 
when he took a long knife he found it sev- 
ered like so much dough. 

If he could reach Edwin he would soon 
cut him loose. But how could he get there? 
He would not get twenty feet toward him 
before they would drag him down; then 
both of them would be helpless, bound vic- 
tims, lying waiting for the green things to 
come to the feast. To help Edwin", to out- 
guess the devils, seemed as far away as ever. 

But after a while, desperate, Mac went 
into action. Part of their supplies had been 
carried in a good-sized box. Mac dumped 
these. Then he filled the box full of waste, 
stuffing his sweater in for good measure. 
Then with wire he encircled the box so that 
the contents could not fall out. He tied a 
light cord into the waste, coiling it on top 
of the sweater. From a gasoline supply 
tank he ran in perhaps three gallons of the 
fuel and then, working quickly, he put his 
plan into action. 

He saw there were no green things dan- 
gerously close at the moment; so, stepping 
from his plane and holding the end of the 
light rope coiled in the box in his left hand, 
he ran quickly as far as he dared beyond 
his wing-tip and hurled his box toward the 
heavier mass of the creatures. Then he 
sprang to his plane again. 

He heard the sharp buzz of their wings as 
they leaped at him; felt them alight upon 
him. The long knife from his belt sunk 
deeply and easily into the filthy, clinging 
beasts. He fought them off, regained his 
plane. Then at once he touched a match 
to the rope he held in his hand. 

He saw the flame rush along the saturated 
rope like the spark follows a train of pow- 
der; saw his box break into swirling flame 
greater than even he expected. 

Pandemonium broke loose then. Into that 
great flame the green things leaped to be 
burned to a crisp on the instant as though 
their oily bodies, too, were gasoline satur- 
ated. The air was full of a roar as of a 
thousand motors as the infuriated insects. 




GREAT GREEN THINGS 



1295 



scorched and maddened, flun£ themselves to 
the flames like so many foolish moths. 

Mac dropped from the cabin, raced under 
his wing to Edwin. Some of them barred 
his path but he shot and cut them down. 
They pounced upon him but his knife took 
its toll. 

Reaching Edwin he slashed the soft rope 
woven about him in two long cuts, then with 
one movement flung him to his shoulders. 
The few green things that were not still fling- 
ing themselves to the flames challenged his 
path again, but they could not stop him. 
Their soft bodies offered no resistance to his 
knife. 

Mac reached the plane and pushed E)dwin 
in upon the cabin floor, then clambered in 
himself. At once Edwin sat up. 

“By Jupiter, Mac!” he cried, “that was 
splendid. I thought I was gone. But I 
don’t believe — I believe I’m not even hurt.” 
“Hurry up and find out, Ed, old boy,” 
Mac insisted, “bet’s see if there’s a possible 
chance of getting away. Here, take my 
rifle. Don’t lean out too far, but keep ’em 
from the propeller. I’m going to start the 
motor.” 

The flames from the box were dying down, 
but they still kept most of the devils inter- 
ested. Mac started his motor, quickly giv- 
ing her a generous throttle so as to speed- 
ily get her to her full power. Only an occa- 
sional shot from Edwin was necessary to 
keep a green thing from the whirling blade. 
Then as soon as he could, Mac gave full 
throttle. But the plane wouldn’t move! 

Mac clenched his teeth and cursed. “No 
good, Ed,” he said. “We’re trapped. Your 
damned devils will get us! Tires are flat; 
grass is heavy. Hell’s Bells!” 

“Can we get out and push?” asked Edwin. 

"'y ES, we’ll try it. Take a knife to fight 
X ’em off. Keep your ^es open. I’ll 
give her full gun. Push like blazes and 
don’t get left if she starts to roll. We do 
have a bit of a down-grade in our favor.” 
They sprang out again, the engine roaring 



wide open. They pushed and lifted at the 
plane until the veins in their foreheads stood 
out hard. They rocked the flat tires out of 
the hollows they had formed in the lush 
grass. 

The plane rolled ahead an inch; then inch- 
es; then feet. The boys still pushed fierce- 
ly. She rolled faster, gathering speed. 
They pushed and strained and lifted, then 
sprang aboard. 

Mac forced his engine to the limit, then 
the plane rolled smartly over the spot upon 
which E)dwin had been so recently tied. It 
increased in speed until Mac, knowing he 
had to take the air or crash into the trees 
ahead of him, risked everything when he 
asked the ship to rise. 

She bounced sluggishly once or twice, 
then she was riding smoothly in the free air, 
her roaring engine now bravely and rapidly 
increasing their speed. 

Mac banked a bit and swung for a thinner 
and lower part of the forest. Only by inch- 
es they skimmed over. Then they were clear 
— gone — free ! 

They did not say much until once again 
the inky Rio N^ro lay beneath them. As 
Mac adjusted his pontoons for a landing be 
said, “Close enough, Ed. We just got out. 
We’ve a story the world won’t believe, 
though. I didn’t until I saw ’em. Say, 
hold on! I forgot that we have one to take 
home with us to prove our story. The one 
I lassoed.” 

But next morning, before they left the riv- 
er for the hop to Panama, they consigned 
the hideous green thing to the depths. Its 
condition made it everything but a desirable 
companion; it was rapidly getting worse. 

“We’re well rid of all of them,” Eidwin 
said. “There’s just one thing I regret.” 

“What’s that?” 

“My rifle. I’d had it a long while. I’m 
sorry I lost ...” 

“Edwin Ray, my boy,” broke in Mac, 
“would you suggest we go back for it?” 

“No, Mac, we won’t go back. Panama, 
James, then home!” 



1 



THE END 



TheReturn/r(9w Jupiter 



By Gawain Edwards 




**You shall learn better now,” he cried and cast the amulet down 
on the hard floor. Fascinated by terror, they saw it spin there for a 
moment. 



1296 




THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1297 



What Has Gone Before 



AUu» Maree, eemmander •/ the armed iarcee of 
Jfeina, i&em^mede) eateUite of Pleida, (Jupiter) re- 
turne to Neina to teU hie father, ttUer'' of the eatel' 
emperot of Pleida, intends to 
invade Neina and enslave the people. His allies in a 
war aga/mst D<rimician have deserted and Neina i« left 
to battle alone. 

He asks for immediate mobilization of Neina and 
states tAot there is one way to save Neina from the 
euperior Pleidan forces. The old scientist whom AUus 
rescued from the earth and who is now a guest of 
Neina hw the secret of an alloy which can destroy all 
the water on Pleida. But the seientiH, remembering 
tAnC the use of this alloy in warfare has destroyed all 
the water on the earth, and made it a desert, refuses 



to give it up. Instead he teUs the Nexniam nobles that 
Neina is bec omin g cold and mn«t be vacated soon. 
He has perfected a method of restoring the water to 
the earth and euggeste that the Neiniane emigr^e to 
the earth. 

The ecientist is despatched to earth to make it habi- 
table while Marce soars into space with fleet to 

meet the Pleidan invasion. Nina, daughter of the 
earth scientist, mobilizes the people of Neina and 
when the Pleidan fleet, having overcome Marce, land 
on Neina, she blows up a number of the ships and 
leads the people against the soldiers. But she w cap- 
tured and the people 

Meanwhile old AUus, ruler of Neina, hoe m$^eter^ 
iouely deserted hie people and soared into space in • 
rocket-ehip. 



Now Go On With The Story 



S HE felt rough hands take hold of her. 

Turning fiuriously with weapon up- 
raised to me^ her attackers, she discovered 
that she was already a prisoner, held in the 
vice-like grip of four Pleidans. 

Behind them, leering at her from a dis- 
tance beyond the possible reach of her 
weapon, was Salvarius Garde. 

“You are one of the Telliu’ians,” he said 
accusingly. “Because of you Neina has re- 
belled; because of you we have had trouble 
subduing her.” 

“Perhaps you have not succeeded even 
yet!” 

The Pleidan leader swept his hand toward 
the middle of the field, but Nina did not 
turn to look. Instead she stared at this 
hideous figure, almost human in form, yet a 
great deal also like a frog. Her eyes were 
burning with hatred and contempt. 

“Neina is now in my hands,” he went on, 
“and I will teach you and all the others 
what it means to resist the authority of 
Dolmician!” 

With a quick gesture one of her captors 
disarmed her. She was thrust closer to Sal- 
varius Garde by two of the Pleidans, whose 
loathsome hands gripped her like vices. 
Garde gestured suddenly toward the launch- 
ing tower, and pushing his face within a 
few inches of her, demanded: “Where went 
old Alius?” 

Nina stood her ground, though her face 
was paler now. “I do not know — perhaps 
he is in the palace,” she said evasively. 

“He left in a space-ship; you know it, 
.Where did he go?” 



“I have no means of knowing that. He 
did not tell me.” 

Nina shrugged her shoulders. It was 
the Pleidan’s time to show his anger. “You 
will tell in time,” he prophesied. “You will 
also tell us where the other Tellurian is. 
We will have both of you — all three of you 
— ^yes and by Deiminos we will have Alius 
Marce too. And we will make public ex- 
amples of you! Ptah — !” and he spat upon 
her as she stood helplessly before him, tens- 
ing her muscles to resist the fury that 
welled up within her. 

“And as for the others,” said Salvarius 
Garde, issuing a general order. “Round them 
up and get them to the mines!” 

CHAPTER IX 

“Prepare to Work in Space!’* 

N OW was the lone voyager in space, tho 
bright rocket-ship that had borne the 
old man of Tellus and the Neinian scien« 
tibts, approaching the earth that was the 
object of their journey. 

Grouped around the observation windows 
of the craft the Neinians watched with eager, 
straining eyes, for to nearly all of them a 
close glimpse of this earth was new and ex- 
citing. Only three had ever seen it be- 
fore. They had accompanied Alius Marce 
upon his epochal journey when he had res- 
cued Nina and her father from death by 
thirst upon this planet. The others had only 
heard of that exploit, and were now feasting 
their own eyes upon the wonders and mya- 



1298 



WONDER STORIES 



teries of Tellus. 

Careful, accurate had been the aim of the 
rocket’s engineers. The projectile, like a 
white speck of metal speeding in from ver- 
tiginous space, had slipped past Luna, earth’s 
only satellite. They 
could see now with un- 
aided eyes the slow ro- 
tation of the huge 
globe toward which 
they were being hurled 
by the mysterious forc- 
es of inertia and gravi- 
tation. The light of 
the sun was reflected 
from its surface with 
frightful intensity, as if 
they were looking 
down upon a polished 
crystal mirror. Some, ® 
alarmed by this phen- 
omena, went to the 
aged Tellurian scien- 
tist. 

“Your earth is boil- 
ing hot,” they said. 

“You have brought us 
to a planet that consists 
of molten stone.” 

“Not molten stone,” 
he corrected them, “but 
crystal salt and areas 
devoid of life and vege- 
tation to absorb the 
rays. We shall find 
the earth no hotter than 
it always was, except 
that the weight of the 
atmosphere, dense with 
all the gases that were 
formerly the seas, 
holds in the heat and 
makes even the temper- 
ate zones tropical in 
temperature, while the 
poles, once icy-cold, 
are now gently warmed 
by the ceaseless currents of the air. It is 
near them that we shall find it most pleasant 
to begin our work.” 

He saw that already they had left the 
cold moon behind; that the earth’s bare 



surface was approaching at a frightful rate. 

“What is our speed!” he asked the en- 
gineers. 

“More than ten miles a second, measured 
by your Tellurian scale.” 

“We must slow down 
to five.” 

“We can do it with 
the rockets at the 
nose.” 

“And let ns change 
our course. At pre- 
sent you are aiming 
directly at the center of 
the Tellurian disc. I 
want to set np an or- 
bit outside the atmos- 
phere, at about five 
hundred miles from 
the surface.” 

The engineers salu- 
ted. The fuel pumps, 
which for many hours 
had been unused, since 
the journey in its lat- 
ter stages had required 
no power, were set go- 
ing again. 

Suddenly the fire 
flawed outward from 
the projectile’s nose. 
The great craft shud- 
dered; its speed slack- 
ened. 

And now the occu- 
pants felt once more, 
the pull of gravity up- 
on their persons; a 
tiresome pressure from 
which they had been 
blessedly free for many 
days and weeks. At 
first the sensation was 
not unpleasant. They 
felt strangely exhilara- 
ted as the pull of 
earth, apparent because 
their free fall had been checked, influenced 
the circulation of their blood, restored the 
ancient and necessary sense of balance, 
caused their long rested muscles to take up 
the age-old burden of supporting their bod- 



^ riV this installment, this'^. 

masterful sequel to “The | 
Rescue From Jupiter^’ 
comes to a tremendous con- 
clusion. 

Neina is all but conquer- 
ed, the scientists on earth 
are attempting the hercu- 
lean task of restoring wa- 
ter to that barren world, 
the ruler of Neina has ap- 
parently deserted his peo- 
ple. Great and stirring 
events are about to happen, 
as peoples and races are 
struggling for preservation 
across hundreds of millions 
of miles of space. 

The science of Mr. Ed- 
wards’ story is practically 
irreproachable. He limits 
himself to advances in 
science that he believes to 
be possible in future ages, 
but what he does use he 
makes the utmost of. The 
experiments of Rutherford 
in bombarding nuclei cf 
nitrogen with electrons are 
quite new to . us of the 
twentieth century. But 
the field opened by that 
distinguished scientist is in- 
deed great. Carrying his 
work to its logical conclu- 
sion there is no reason why, 
for good or evil, we 
should not have ultimate- 
ly as Mr. Edwards pro- 
phesies the transmutation 
of elements and when that 
time comes, the changes it 
I will make in our world 
indeed be wonderful.^ 



JHE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1299 



lee, even when there was no movement to 
be made. 

But they had little time to observe the 
innumerable subtle changes that were tak> 
ing place in them and in the car, for now the 
old man was like a demon, striding up and 
down the crowded laboratory, searching out 
his men, hastening them to their posts. 

“In a few minutes,” he declared,” we shall 
be ready to do the work for which we have 
come so far!” 

He ordered them to begin the laborious 
task of donning their spaee suits. Out of 
the storage spaces came these cumbrous ob* 
jects, helmeted like weird objects from the 
depths of the sea, curiously sagging and 
empty, like the tenantless 
skins cast off by snakes. 

The old man himself 
was the first man to enter 
one. While two aides 
helped him he thrust 
trembling limbs into the 
strong fabric tubes meant 
for arms and legs, and 
worked his hands into the 
metal gauntlets. Quickly 
they sealed him into the 
suit, and placed on hfs 
shoulders the huge metal 
helmet, with its tanks and 
radio. A pack contain- 
ing additional supplies 
went on his back, but still 
the little window at the 
front remained open, so 
that he could talk directly with the others 
until the time came to go out into space. 

H e went forward again to the control 
room, and strode nervously among the 
engineers. 

“Where are we now?” he asked, noting 
that the features of Tellus were alarmingly 
close. He could make out the mountain 
chains and valleys of North America, the 
huge, glittering depressions that had been 
the seas, even the islands that had once 
thrust themselves up about the surface of 
the lapping waves, to give ground for palms, 
men and animals. The whole Western Hm- 
isphere seemed spread out before him like 



a convex map, clear except for the hazy 
atmosphere that seemed to swathe the globe 
like a bluish, smoky veil. 

The engineers finished their computa* 
tions. 

“We are between five and six hundred 
miles out,” they replied. 

“Our speed?” 

“We are reducing it rapidly.” 

“The course?” 

“Around the earth, as you directed.” 

The old man turned abruptly back to- 
ward the laboratory, where the scientists 
from Neina, following his example, were in 
their space suits, waiting for further orders. 

There was a strange, restrained hush 
among them; they were 
like men expecting to 
plunge themselves into 
battle. 

“Every man knows his 
place and what he is to 
do,” said the Tellurian. 
“If you obey my com- 
mands there will be no 
hitch in our plans. Wo 
must work quickly and 
accurately.” 

In the quiet of the lab- 
oratory a bell rang sud- 
denly. The old man 
picked up a telephone 
that put him in commun- 
ication with the control 
room. “We have reached 
your speed and altitude,” 
declared an engineer. 

“Are we in free flight?” 

“Yes.” 

“The rocket holds its orbit around the 
earth without the application of power for 
steering or speed?” 

“We have checked our course; the orbit 
holds.” 

The scientist put up the telephone, and 
turned as gravely as an oracle toward his 
listeners. 

“Prepare to work in space,” he com- 
manded quietly. 

* * * * 

If there had been an observer on the sur- 
face of the earth he would have seen a 




GAWAIN EDWARDS 



1300 



WONDER STORIES 



curious phenomenon in the clear sky above 
him in the twenty-four hours that followed. 
At first there was only the glistening cart- 
ridge of metal from another world, taking 
its course around the earth from west to 
east, scarcely visible at five hundred miles, 
a tiny mite that flew with terrific speed but 
drew no closer. 

Then not a little like tiny parasites emerg- 
ing from a host there came out of it from 
an opening near the rear a swarm of tiny 
animalcules — objects more like balloons 
than men, grotesque creatures of fabric, rub- 
ber and metal, futuristic robots, each with 
a burden many times larger than himself, 
and each linked to the monster rocket-craft 
by a thin cord that kept him from being 
wafted away or losing his way in space. 

For a long time they seemed to hover there 
around the flying space-car, gradually mov- 
ing with their burdens in a kind of unreal 
dance, moving together, apart, readjusting 
their positions. Gradually, as the figures 
glided here and there by discharging bright 
flashes of rocket fuel from specially designed 
space locomotion guns, the objects they were 
carrying began to grow together, to take 
form in the abyss of the sky, four hundred 
miles above the cottony layers of air that 
swathed the whirling, misty globe. 

And now, had an observer been gazing 
at them through some terrestrial telescope, 
he would have been astonished at the thing 
about which they swarmed. It was follow- 
ing after the space-car, fastened to it like 
the objects that has fashioned it, by a long 
tow-cord of flexible metal, perhaps a chain 
or cable. It was shaped not unlike a huge 
saucer, hundreds of yards in diameter, with 
its bottom toward the earth, and its upper, 
concave surface facing toward the sun. 

Having completed so much, the pygmies 
afloat in space were still not content. Re- 
peatedly, in a procession like that of ants 
making visits to a pool of syrup, they re- 
turned to the space-craft, and brought out 
of it new burdens — additional parts for the 
saucer they had constructed. On the under 
side there began to grow a bulbous ex- 
crescence, like the basket of a huge balloon, 
fastened close to the saucer’s convex bot- 
tom by girders of metal. Into this cup en-. 



tered the workers, carrying instruments^ 
generators, thermo-couples, reflectors, gyro- 
balances. 

Meanwhile the rocket-car and its strange 
appendages kept up its incredibly swift 
journey around the earth, in a slightly ec- 
centric natural orbit that required no energy 
to maintain. For the time being the Neinians 
and their craft had become satellites of the 
earth, traveling at such a speed and such 
a distance as would have kept them im- 
prisoned forever in an orbit around Tellus 
had they bewi without power to steer or 
speed up their craft. 

Four times they circled the earth, spend- 
ing less than two hours in each revolution. 
Gradually the huge object they were build- 
ing grew complete, each portion fitting its 
place as the Tellurian scientist had planned. 
The old man himself had been the first to 
step from the speeding space-flyer into noth- 
ingness at the beginning of the building 
operation, his space suit ballooning about 
him hideously, his old head sheathed in the 
heavy metal hood until he was unrecogniz- 
able, except for his energy, the continual 
waving of his arms, his close inspection of 
the machine as they put it together. 

In Space 

T he Neinian scientists, observing the 
old Tellurian’s activity, marveled that 
anyone could have so much strength to ex- 
pend upon such a project. They could not 
see the fierce zeal in his eyes or they might 
have marvelled even more,. As bis contriv- 
ance took shape in space above the earth 
the aged scientist was like a consecrated 
priest before the altar of his god. Each 
curve, rivet, bolt and seam of its design he 
knew from hours of poring over the plans in 
the laboratory of the space ship, from ex- 
amining each piece as it had been fashioned 
by his aides. 

Now that it was actually being constructed 
he let no detail escape him, nor did he per- 
mit any delay on the part of the Neinians, 
many of whom grew quickly tired of their 
labors, despite the matters of great moment 
they knew depended upon them. 

At last the huge disc, with its carriage 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1301 



underneath that housed innumerable intri- 
cate machines, was complete. Its upward, 
concave side was a glittering mirror, catch- 
ing the rays of the blistering sun, reflect- 
ing them toward the center, where they fell 
upon the battery of thermocouples that 
transformed the heat instantly into electric- 
ity. 

The old man entered the air-locked cabin 
underneath, started the machinery with a 
switch, and felt the generators hum through 
the heavy padding of his suit. He glanced 
at the indicators and checked the output of 
the couples and that of the ray generators. 
He tested the eflficiency of the machinery he 
had caused to be created during the journey 
and hung here in space. 

While he went over the apparatus once 
more, making sure that everything was in 
working order, others, under orders, min- 
utely examined the seams between the under- 
side of the saucer-reflector and the basket of 
metal that carried the machines. They were 
air-tight. 

The old man heard them report their find- 
ings through the radio sets that held them 
all in communication. “Then start the air- 
generators,” he directed. “Four men must 
stay here to watch our machines and to 
keep in touch with us. They have already 
been selected, and are now making ready.” 

He saw that his directions had been obey- 
ed. The suits of those inside the basket be- 
gan to wrinkle, as if being deflated, while 
the pressure of oxygen and nitrogen around 
them increased. Presently, when he judged 
that sufficient pressure had been generated 
to support life, the old man jerked open 
the little window in his helmet, and breathed 
deeply, testing the new-made air. 

The others did likewise. For the first 
time in hours they conversed normally. 

“This is the power-house in space that 
will supply us with the energy we need to 
bring water to the earth,” the old man ex- 
plained. “WTien we are ready we will r^n 
away from it in the space-car, leaving it 
to continue on its course around the earth. 
Gyroscopes continually in motion hold it 
with the concave mirror always toward the 
sun, unless it becomes necessary to shut off 
the power to get into the mirror to make 

I 



repairs, in which case by precession it can 
be tilted out of the direct rays and plunged 
into the darkness and chill of space. 

“The energy we need will be supplied us 
by di-thurnian waves generated directly from 
elctricity. They will be caught in reflectors 
placed on the surface of Tellus, and there 
will be transformed again into electricity, to 
feed my water-machine.” 

“But will there be sufficient power?” 
The old man gazed questioningly at his 
interrogator. 

“In my tests made just now,” he returned, 
“ I found that my preliminary estimates 
will be more than justified. In this re- 
flector and its apparatus we have a power 
plant capable of generating more power 
than was ever available on the earth, before 
the invention of the water-motor. With it 
we shall be able to supply the needs of the 
earth for many years to come — and if more 
are necessary later it will be a simple mat- 
ter to build tl^em and let them send their 
energy down in waves to lift all burdens 
from the backs of men.” 

A ringing bell interrupted them. The 
old man paused. “That is the reflector’s 
crew,” he said. “We are ready to turn it 
over to them.” 

Pressing a button he answered the sum- 
mons. One of the other stepped to the air- 
lock, pulled the lever that closed the outer 
door and opened the inner one. The four 
men who had been selected to remain above 
the earth filed in. 

The Tellurian helped them out of their 
space-suits. 

“You have been instructed,” he said. 
“Arc you ready?” 

The four nodded briskly. 

“Yon can remain in constant touch with 
us,” he said, “but you must realize that 
should anything go wrong you can depend 
on no one but yourselves.” 

Again they nodded, more soberly. The 
old man’s eyes swept over them, remember- 
ing how much depended upon his power- 
house in space. The foremost was a scien- 
tist whose work was well known throughout 
Neina. He had forsaken family and pro- 
fession to join the Tellurian on the venture 
into space. The others were likewise trained 



1302 



WONDER STORIES 



men, determined, resourceful. The old 
scientist looked at them and smiled. “I can 
depend upon you,” he said. 

The leader saluted gravely. “We shall 
follow your instruction,” he replied, “and 
you may depend on us.” 

The others were already entering the air- 
lock, preparing to return to the space-ship. 
The old scientist impulsively shook the 
hands of each member of the reflector crewm- 
an ancient Tellurian custom which he had 
never been able to cause the Neinians to 
adopt, but which they nevertheless recog- 
nized as a sincere gesture of friendship and 
faith. Then, with a quick motion he ad- 
justed his helmet and followed into the 
airlodk. In a moment they were ejected 
into space. 

T he space-car lay not far ahead of them, 
seemingly without motion. Beneath 
them the great earth spun rapidly, almost 
dizzily. 

Quickly they reeled themselves to the 
craft that had brought them from Neina, and 
entering it through another air-lock, closed 
the metallic cartridge after them. The scien- 
tist surveyed the interior of his ship, noting 
its gloomy emptiness, now that the segments 
of the giant reflector had been removed. 
With rapid steps he made his way forward 
to the control room and consulted with the 
craft’s chief engineer. 

“Our speed is almost exactly five miles 
a second,” the latter reported. “We are 
holding to the orbit.” 

“Everything is ready for the landing?” 
The other nodded. 

“Then cut loose from the reflector and 
speed away from it. We must not disturb its 
motion.” 

The engineer nodded. The old Tellurian 
suddenly felt a great weariness seize him; 
the day’s task had been difficult and strenu- 
ous, but he could not rest now, when the 
most perilous hours of the whole flight were 
at hand; the actual landing upon the planet 
he had come to rescue from its untimely 
drying. Slowly he strode aft to join the 
Neinian scientists who were watching the 
power-house they had set adrift to swing 
forever around the earth. 



CHAPTER X 
The Landing 

T he huge space-car, its folding wings 
outspread to their greatest extent to 
break its fall, spun rapidly about the earth 
in the last stages of ks landing maneuvers. 

The Tellurian, gazing eagerly at his 
world as it flashed beneath them in the 
glaring light of the sun, saw that everywhere 
it was dry and dead, glittering with salt, or 
crusted with dust, or creeping with drifting 
wavra of wind-blown sand. The space- 
craft, gradually changing its course from 
that of the power-house still floating in 
space, at last was approaching the surface 
in a long loop that took them first over the 
South Pole and then over the North. 

At the South Pole they could discern noth- 
ing but the crumpled mountain ranges that 
had long been known to have lain beneath 
the ice-cap which once rested there. But as 
they approached the North Pole the old 
man, suppressing an exclamation, pointed 
with excitement to a field of glaring bright- 
ness that suddenly appeared before them, 
passed beneath, and disappeared behind. 
“What is it?” the Neinians asked. 

“Ice!” 

The old Tellurian’s excitement was mys- 
tifying to them. 

“But there is not very much. The mois- 
ture represented there could hardly be used 
to support life on the earth — ” 

“Of course not,” he replied. “That is the 
residue, probably, of all the water that re- 
mained in the atmosphere when the last of 
the lakes and oceans disappeared. But 
don’t you understand the significance of this 
cap of ice?” 

They shook their heads. 

“It means that some chemistry vital to 
our plans has been at work. When my 
daughter and I were rescued from this plan- 
et not many years ago, the edr contained a 
minute, all-pervading ferment of the metal- 
lic alloy that caused water to dissolve in a 
boiling cloud of oxygen and nitrogen. That 
alloy, if it were ^11 present in the atmos- 
phere, would also have destroyed the water 
frozen in that patch of polar ice as soon as 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



it began to collect here, had it still been 
active. 

“This discovery means that if we succeed 
in transmuting an element and manufactur- 
ing water we shall not need to worry about 
the substance that destroyed the water of the 
globe that preceded it. Some acid in the 
air — perhaps one of the rare nitric com- 
pounds produced in minute quantities by the 
combustion of water, has been slowly at 
work, and has destroyed the alloy.” 

The space-ship, its speed tremendously 
reduced by the resistance of the air encoun- 
tered in its circular flight around the earth, 
was now going slowly enough to make land- 
ing possible. 

“We must select a spot not too far from 
the North Polar regions,” the Tellurian di- 
rected. The engineers signalled assent as 
diey eagerly watched the surface ahead and 
below. 

Not far away they spied a flat place, ap- 
parently suitable. A jangling bell warned 
everyone in the ship that a landing attempt 
was about to be made. The crew and scien- 
tists hastily sought their landing hammocks. 
The ship nosed perceptibly downward. The 
earth came rushing upward at them, fell 
away, came up again. 

Then they felt the terrific craving of the 
space-car’s carriage on uneven ground. The 
huge machine groaned, side-slipped, came 
sibruptly to a stop, amid a cloud of dust 
that spiraled upward in the thick, lazy air. 

The old man was first on his feet, tugging 
and pulling at the others to see if any were 
hurt. One man had crashed his head against 
a stanchion and was lying still, either un- 
conscious or dead. The Tellurian called 
physicians to attend to him while he mar- 
shalled the others, bidding them to get ready 
for their first walk on Tellus. 

“I am going to open the door,” he said. 

The Neinijins, many bruised mid ill as a 
result of their strenuous efforts in building 
the reflector, their reactions to the long ride 
through space, and finally the roughness 
of the landing, were nevertheless eager to 
see the new world. They shouted their ap- 
proval of his intention. 

The Tellurian eagerly unfastened die 



130a 

heavy door that led into the airlodk, and in 
a moment the outer door also was open. 

T hey had landed upon a slightly rolling 
plain, somewhere in what had been 
northwestern Canada in the days of the 
Tellurians. Toward the west the land 
mounted perceptibly in a series of long, low 
foothills, no doubt reaching in the hazy dis- 
tance to the chains of the Canadian Rockies 
diat were still high and rugged in these 
parts. On the east, not above a mile from 
the scored flat upon which the rocket-ship 
bad made its landing, was a basin or flat 
valley in which, in olden days, a small lake' 
had lain. 

Around it there were still traces of die 
long-dead vegetation that had once hedged 
it in. Dessicated, half-buried stumps of 
trees, banks where matted wisps of dried 
grass still hung, whispering dceletons of 
weeds, and here and there the bleached bones 
of animals that had succumbed there. 

The Neinians looked at each other in 
wonder that any remnant of earthly life 
could have survived so long, but the old 
Tellurian pointed out to them that since all 
life had been destroyed by the sudden dis- 
appearance of water, not even bacterial 
forms had remained to cause decay. 

They all perceived that the space-flyer 
had selected what was almost an ideal spot 
for their experiment; an open area suffi- 
ciently large for setting np their power 
gathering device, a broad shelf upon which 
to carry on their experiments with the old 
scientist’s mysterious machine, and finally, 
if success attended their efforts, a natural 
basin in which to catch and hold the first 
trickles of moisture from their laboratory. 

The air of Tellus was heavy and acrid 
from the excess of oxygen and traces of 
malignant acid compounds that it contained. 
Nevertheless they found that they could ac- 
custom themselves to it, and the natural air, 
however strange, was a welcome relief from 
the artificial atmosphere they had been 
forced to breathe during so many wedu of 
flight from Neina. 

The old man led them for a tour of in- 
spection over the shelf upon which their 
rocket lay, permitting them to accustom 



1304 



WONDER STORIES 



their bodies gradually to the conditions of 
Tellus; her greater gravity, the extreme 
pressure of the air, the dryness of the sur- 
face. He saw that the early Tellurian night, 
coming slowly in such high latitudes, was 
near, and decided that their first concern 
should be to make a camp in which they 
could live in comfort while the work was 
going on. 

Accordingly they visited the small forest 
of dessicated trees at the edge of the empty 
lake, and from a few of them succeeded in 
building the skeleton of a shelter against 
the chill of the coming night and the heat of 
the next day’s sun. By the time they had 
thrown together the beginnings of the struc- 
ture, night had fallen. 

The old man showed them how to gather 
shorter bits of the aged wood in small piles, 
and how to ignite them. And soon in the 
first darkness of the evening that was to 
mark a new era for the earth, camp-fires 
crackled once more beneath the ancient Tel- 
lurian sky as in the long-forgotten times. 

The wood burned with uncommon bright- 
ness because of the plentiful oxygen, and 
turned all too suddenly to smoke and ashes. 
But as the sparks showered upward, the 
Neinians, glad as children for the relaxation 
and comparative safety of their camp, how- 
ever strange it was to them, lay back on 
their robes with their faces to the heavens, 
and watched bright Jupiter in his course, un- 
able to see, but knowing that Neina and the 
other satellites were close by, whirling in 
their endless courses around him. 

Of the events that had transpired there 
since their departure they of course knew 
nothing, yet each stared upward at the bright 
planet and its satellites with silent forebod- 
ing, knowing well that Neina’s downfall, if 
not already accomplished, was inevitable, 
and wond»ing what had become of wives, 
parents, children and other loved ones they 
had left behind to come on this queer quest 
through space for a better place to live. 

As they lay there in the light of their 
crackling fires the moon arose, and they 
exclaimed in wonder at the beauty of the 
sight. The old man of Tellus lay looking 
at it long after the others had fallen to 
pleep, planning for the activides of the n^ 



day, and wondering at the outcome of his 
voyage across nothingness to the planet of 
his birth. 

“Tomorrow, We Shall Be R^dy!” 

T enderly they took the strange mach- 
ine out of its packing in the metal pro- 
jectile, and now, in the shelter of the hast- 
ily constructed laboratory, the old man and 
two assistants were assembling it. 

On the flat toward the west nearly all the 
rest of the Neinians were concerned with 
the erection of a huge convex mirror, a lit- 
tle like that which they had left swinging 
mound them in the sky, but smaller, and 
covered at its upper side with innumerable 
bare, bright wires, like spidery antennae. 

It was the receiving reflector designed to 
collect and transform the energy sent by the 
power-house in space. 

It was mounted upon a short, heavy tower 
of metal, which permitted it to be swung on 
a universal joint toward any quarter of the 
heavens. Somewhere far to the south of 
them they knew the power-collector was still 
circling Tellus, ready to supply them with 
energy when they had need. Through the 
heavy layers of atmosphere, and even 
through the rocky earth itself, the energy- 
bearing waves would come to this reflector 
from the invisible sky-mirror when the in- 
stallation was complete. 

The Tellurian had no doubts about the 
energy-supply. The observatory and pow- 
er-house in space made use of no new prin- 
ciple. Similar reflectors had been in use 
on Jupiter for generations. But to the as- 
sembling of his water-maker he was devot- 
ing his full attention. With his assistants 
he went over every step in the projected 
conversion of Tellurian atmosphere into wa- 
ter. They examined the heavy tanks into 
which the gas would be compressed, to be 
released in relatively, small quantities into 
the glass-lined chamber by the side of the 
exciter-tube. 

It was this tube that was the heart of the 
machine, the very essence of the contri- 
vance. It was more than twenty feet in 
length, made of heavy glass. Electrodes ap- 
peared in either end, and through a tiny 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1305 



window at the side a smaller tube led di- 
rectly into the chamber of compressed gas 
which it was expected to activate. 

“With alpha rays Rutherford knocked 
protons out of the nuclei of nitrc^en,” the 
old man said. “This tube does not generate 
alpha rays, but discharges instead a torrent 
of electrons moving so rapidly that they 
will, on striking the nuclei of nitrogen, 
knock out not one proton but fourteen, thus 
reducing each atom of the heavier gas into 
fourteen prospective atoms of hydrogen. 
These protons, dancing in a veritable show- 
M of swiftly-moving electrons, will drift to 
the edges of the torrent, where slower-mov- 
ing electrons will readily unite with them. 
W« will have on one side a steady stream of 
nitrogen going into our compression cham- 
ber, and on the other side a stream of new, 
hot hydrogen leaving it.” 

The assistants were enlightened by this 
simple explanation of the machine they saw 
before them. 

“But water?” they asked. 

“That is the simplest part. We will care- 
fully ignite our hydrogen in oxygen, avoid- 
ing an explosion by blowing the gases to- 
gether from separate jets and igniting them 
only at the point of mingling. The result- 
ing stream we will catch in a worm, and 
cooling it, will reduce it to water before 
our eyes.” 

From time to time, pausing in their lab- 
ors, the two assistants stared in astonish- 
ment at the vigor with which the old man 
applied himself to the work. Despite the 
high latitude in which they had pitched their 
camp, the sun was hot, and the slattern shed 
of rough and splintered logs little protec- 
tion against it. Perspiration started from 
their pores, but hardly once did the old man 
pause to join them in their rest, except when 
there was an explanation to be made, or an 
intricate operation to be described. 

Throughout the day they worked, reas- 
sembling the machine that had once been 
complete on Neina. The thing was a maze 
of wires, coils, pumps. In the compression 
chamber they installed the apparatus that 
separated the nitrogen from the oxygen and 
other gases of the atmosphere, so that it 
would flow into the activating chamber in a 



pure state. They fastened the huge engine 
securely to its metal and concrete base, and 
in turn fastened the base to the earth with 
angular metal stakes that went down deep 
into the dry soil. 

N ight came again and put a stop to 
their labors, but long after the others 
had gone to rest at the camp the old man 
puttered about by artificial light, making 
final adjustments, poring over his connec- 
tions, examining every part and portion of 
the awesome, all-important contrivance. 

Hours later, when at length he pulled 
himself away from the machine, he found 
the Neinians waiting for him. A hush fell 
upon them as he approached. He felt the 
power of their reverence as he joined the 
circle, for now they considered him a super- 
man indeed, a mighty inventor of countless 
contrivances, master of air, earth, water, 
fire tmd all the elements, and in addition 
a man of iron, capable of putting into any 
project such furious zeal as to shame any 
Neinian. 

“You must rest,” they said to him, “for 
tomorrow ...” 

“Tomorrow ...” the word echoed 
strangely as he pronounced it, “we shall be 
ready to try — the machine. If it is a suc- 
cess we shall not have made this trip in vain. 
But if it fails — Neina is doomed!” 

CHAPTER XI 

Water! 

T he little band of Neinians, like nervous 
husbands awaiting word of the birth of 
their first-bom, had drawn a little way off 
at the order of the old man of Tellus. Only 
his two tissistants were privileged to be pre- 
sent with him in the shack of a laboratory 
when the great lever was thrown in, inaug- 
luating the test of the water-maker. 

Four Neinians stood at the base of the 
lower on which was perched the huge power- 
collector, moving it stealthily, their ears at- 
tuned to words which were coming to them 
from space. The crew of the power-house 
above the earth was signalling its position, 
making ready to deliver the first supply of 



1366 



WONDER STORIES 



sun-power ever sent direct to earth by di- 
thurnian waves. 

Slowly the coHecdng-BiiiTor moved into 
position to catch the pencil of rays that 
would soon descend upon it from out of the 
dim and misty nothingness toward the south. 
A scientist, watching its motion, suddenly 
signalled for a halt. “Position!” he called. 

Instantly the watchers stiffened. The 
first part of the intricate proCess of chang- 
ing the earth’s atmosphere into water had 
been accomplished. The collector had made 
contact with the space power-house. Energy 
was ready to be delivered in vast quantities 
to the engine the old man bad hidden in his 
tumbledown laboratory near the shores of 
the extinct lake. 

Toward the laboratory a huge, thick cab- 
le, like a black snake, ran from the collector. 
In a few minutes, if all went well, it would 
throb with such a charge of electricity as 
had never been confined in so small a line 
before on Tellus, and electricity that had 
never before been destined for so important 
a use anywhere in the universe. 

They waited, half afraid to speak, for the 
signal that was to be given by the old man. 
The sun moved slowly toward the lenith of 
his course. The Tellurian summer, they ob- 
served, was already on the wane. The 
warm weather of these parts would be pass- 
ing in a few weeks and if the experiment 
were not a success there would probably be 
no chance to build another machine and try 
again for many months. It was doubtful 
if they could hold out long enough; supplies 
were already getting low in the space-csu:. 
Scarcely enough remained to last out the 
return journey to Neina, should one be at- 
tempted. 

Much depended, indeed, upon the out- 
come of the experiment. 

Suddenly they saw the signal. The old 
man came to the door of his laboratory and 
waved a white cloth. Shouting his mrders 
the scientist in charge of the power-eol lector 
caused an assistant to throw the huge switch. 
The black cable abruptly became a conduct- 
or of electricity, though the circuit at the 
laboratory bad not yet been closed. ITiey 
saw by the indicators and other signs that 
the eolleeter was working, that enormous 



currents of energy were pouring through the 
atmosphere to collect upon its concave sur- 
faces, to pass through its transformers, its 
generators, to flow finally into the conduit 
that led down the gently sloping hillside to 
an unprepossessing shack at the shore of a 
dry and extinct lake. 

And then it happened. There was a sud- 
den rushing, clattering sound below. Des- 
pite the glaring light of the noonday sun 
they beheld an eerie illumination dart from 
the building’s many cracks; green, golden, 
filled with dancing motes and spots. The 
dry air crackled, snarled. They heard in- 
numerable rushing, whistling noises. 

Still no one moved, remembering the old 
scientist’s earnest warning not to approach 
the shack imtil he had given specific per- 
mission. For minutes that seemed hours no 
sign of human life was apparent below. 
The sputtering, the strange light — all the 
weird manifestations of energy continued, 
increased. Some began to grow alarmed. 
What if the first discharge of the huge elect- 
ron-tube had killed the scientist and his 
aides? Perhaps they had received no sig- 
nal because they were evmi now struggling 
in death agony; or worse, had been com- 
pletely disintegrated by the torrents of elect- 
rons that had come rushing at them from 
the giant valve. 

A t length one of the Neinians, the chief 
engineer of the rocket-ship, could stand 
the suspense no longer. Against the speci- 
fic order of the old Tellurian he left the 
waiting group and made his way toward the 
shack. As if hypnotized by the green radia- 
tions emanating from the laboratory the oth- 
ers followed, not running, but walking slow- 
ly and cautiously toward the building. The 
engineer reached the door first, die others 
immediately behind. It was closed. He 
thrust it open with a quick blow. 

A hideous burst of the green light ceime 
pouring out upon them, blinding them. Af- 
ter a moment they saw the aged sciendst and 
his aides inside hurrying around their mach- 
ine like madmen, adjusting here, inspecting 
there, making changes, measuring. Above 
their beads lay die hi^ tube, too brilliant 
to look at, hurling its electrons like coemiq 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1307 



Javelins into the compressed nitrogen in the 
tank. In another place — marvelous to look 
at, but mysterious — ^burned a jet of yellow 
fire in a closed glass container. 

The Neinians had got this far widi their 
investigation when the old man spied them. 
(With a shout he waved his arms at them — 
a shout of triumph, glee, unquenchable jub- 
ilation. With a long, skinny finger he 
pointed toward the end of the machine, 
where now one of the aides was bending, 
making tests. At that end there was a spout, 
and from the spout there came trickling a 
tiny stream — an almost invisible flow, but 
a flow that was unmistakably water! 

“We have succeeded,” declared the old 
man. “Water — ^water — !” 

“But so little!” objected one of the Nein- 
ian scientists. 

The old Tellurian smiled. “As for that,” 
he said, “we are only making a test. If 
you want volume, here it is!” 

He seized the handle of a rheostat that 
controlled the flow of current into the mach- 
ine. The glaring colors of the tube’s eman- 
ations suddenly became intense — a blaze of 
light that seemed to press upon them. It 
filled the room as if it had substance. Waves 
of heat swept upon them. The flame in the 
glass container spurted brighter, became a 
fiery blast. 

And ^t was then that a cry of joy went 
up from the Neinians. For they saw the 
water increase from a trickle to a little tor- 
rent pouring from the spout. Still hot, it 
gushed into the vessel the old man had pre- 
pared for it, filling it, overflowing on the 
dry sand, soaking in, making a little puddle 
on the laboratory floor. 

The Neinians, shouting and laughing like 
children, ran in and seized up samples of it 
in their drinking cups, putting it to their 
lips, hot as it was, eager to taste this water 
that had just been made by the transmuta- 
tion of elements. 

The old man of the Earth watched them 
with tears of pleasure in his eyes. In the 
distant past, the earth people had dreamed 
of transmuting the baser elements into rare 
ones for monetary gain. Now the trick had 
actually been done. Elements had been 
transmuted — to produce water, the elixir of 



Hfe, at one time so common that tibe ancient 
philosophers would have spurned the sug- 
gestion of changing the elements to manu- 
facture it. 

“But we cannot be content with the result 
of this experiment,” he cautioned the Nein- 
ians. “We must build many more machines 
at once. We must fill our little lake with 
water, and many more besides. It will be 
generations before there is enough water to 
repopulate the earth, even at the fastest rate 
that we can manufacture it.” 

Friend or Foe? 

T he four men that constituted the crew 
of the power house in space, flying per- 
petually around the earth but free of its 
dimming atmospheres, were able to see great 
distances with their telescopes. Continually 
they swept the heavens for amusement and 
for their scientific enlightenment, relieving 
the enforced monotony of their tasks by 
speculating on the enormousness of space 
and the mysteries of astronomy. 

Every two hours they made a complete 
circuit of the eardi. By the time they had 
been suspended in space a week, they had 
examined minutely all the neighboring bod- 
ies that came within the range of their in- 
struments, and now eagerly sought the skies 
for new worlds to observe, counting the in- 
numerable comets that time and again swept 
in toward the mighty sun or hastened out- 
ward from it. They spied asteroids that had 
never been seen from Earth’s surface because 
of the denseness of the atmosphere, they 
watched with amazement the continual fiery 
displays that accompanied the falling of 
swift-moving meteors into the blanket of air 
surrounding Tellus. 

But in all this phenomena they beheld 
but one object that alarmed them. The 
natural bodies of space, moving in relation 
to each other in accordance with the inex- 
orable laws of the universe, were calculable, 
explicable. But one object, which at first 
they thought to be an approaching comet, 
then an asteroid, and finally a heavenly body 
the like of which had never been sighted 
before, caused them to bend their energies 
full upon it whenever their tiny satellite 



1308 



WONDER STORIES 



was upon the aide of die eaidi that permitted 
them to view it. 

The thing was at first only a speck of 
light — a spark moving in the darkness of 
space. As it approached they thought they 
detected a slight train, like that of a small 
comet. But soon this illusion gave way to 
the certainty that here was no ordinary body, 
but one that, by its actions, appeared to be 
controlled by intelligent beings. 

Having reached this conclusion they were 
for a time at a loss how to proceed. If it 
were indeed an approaching space-car it 
might be bringing beings from another plan- 
et totally unknown to them, perhaps intelli- 
gent creatures from worlds beyond the ken 
of men inhabiting the solar system. But — 
and this was a possibility that appeared to 
them more rational — the approaching ship 
might bear friends with word of Neina. Or 
it might be bringing enemies from Pleida 
who had been apprised of the old man’s pro- 
ject upon Tellus, and had come to destroy it 
and the scientists with it. 

This last consideration was one to be reck- 
oned with seriously, for the expedition, ex- 
pecting no hostile life upon the planet they 
had come to visit, had brought virtually no 
arms or other means of defense. Bent on 
a mission of peace, they had chosen to util- 
ize every precious inch of space and ounce of 
weight in their ship for transporting ob- 
jects, chemicals, materials and instruments 
useful and necessary to that project. 

The four members of the power-house 
crew waited until, gazing through their glass- 
es, they were morally certain that they had 
made no mistake; that it was indeed a space- 
ship that approached through the inky heav- 
ens. They perceived that it was traveling 
at a furious rate, exceeding even that at 
which the ship of the scientists had come 
to Tellus. 

They sent a message to the camp of the 
scientists upon the Earth, telling what they 
had seen. In a few minutes word had been 
taken to the old Tellurian, and he had come 
personally to the radiophone to question 
them. 

“They are already within the orbit of 
Luna, the moon,” the power-house crew re- 
ported. “Within a few hours, at this rate. 



they will be dose enough to make a land- 
ing.” 

The old man, alarmed to think what migic 
happen to his water machine and its re- 
plica, now nearly finished, and to the whple 
projecjt if it were now idtacked by a deter- 
mined foe, questioned them at length. 

“Are there more than one?” he queried. 

The observers replied in the negative. 
“We can see only one,” the leader returned. 
“It is a diip that bears no colors or other 
distinguishing mark that we can perceive 
at this distance.” 

“Is it a Pleidan ship?” 

“It does not appear so — ^but we cannot 
be sure.” 

“Then it might possibly be a Neinian 
ship?” 

“It is possible.” 

A few minutes later the speed of the sate- 
llite power-house swept it out of sight of 
the approaching flyer, and its crew could 
report no further upon it. 

HE whole camp on Tellus was suddejily 
in an uproar. When the old scientist 
turned from the radiophone he found that 
the news of approaching beings, perhaps 
enemies, had spread like a blaze through dry 
grass. The technicians and scientists were 
waiting for him, beseeching, demanding. 
The chief engineer of their own craft had 
suggested that they re-enter and speed away 
before the strangers arrived. He had point- 
ed out that there was no means of defense 
and counselled flight as the only sane course. 

One group was for digging entrenchments 
and throwing up a breastwork, behind which 
they would be safe from hostile rays that 
might be sprayed upon them from the un- 
known craft. Others were for scattering in- 
to the hills, bearing food with them, to await 
developments. 

The old man gazed at them sadly while 
they brought these proposals successively to 
his attention, and when they were through 
he held up his hand for silence. 

“It is growing late,” he pointed out. “The 
sun is even now approaching 'the horizon, 
and soon it will be night here. If this craft 
is seeking us, be it loaded either with friends 
or enemies, it will not know where to find 




THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1399 



ns for many hours, until daylight again re- 
veals our position. 

**Meanwhile, unless it takes up an orbital 
course around the earth, as we did when 
building the power-house, its speed will 
force a landing long before that time. The 
chances are a million to one that it will 
strike the surface of Tellus miles from where 
we stand, perhaps on the other side of the 
globe. It is likely, in fact, that we shall 
sleep tonight and many nights undisturbed 
— that they will land at such a distance that 
we shall never hear of them except through 
the eyes of our revolving power-house.” 

When they heard these words the Neinians 
somewhat recovered from their alarm. The 
old man went on. 

“There is another contingency which none 
of you appear to have thought of,” he de- 
clared. “Perhaps these men noW approach- 
ing Earth are friends instead of enemies, 
eager to give us news of Neiha — perhaps 
news of vital importance to us. We there- 
fore cannot take a chance on their missing 
us. We must take steps at once to attract 
their attention so that they will be sure to 
land nearby, whether it is dark or light.” 

At this the Neinians were filled with mur- 
murings and uneasiness again. “That 
would be suicide!” one exclaimed. “Sup- 
pose they were Pleidans. We have abso- 
lutely no means of defense against them!” 

The old man’s lips parted, so that his lips 
flashed in the last rays of the yellow sun- 
light, but there was no smile upon his face. 
“Are you Neinians — or children?” he de- 
manded. “Do you believe that I have not 
reckoned the dangers? It is my project, 
after all, that must fail if 1 have calculated 
wrongly about these strangers from space. 
I say, we must signal them!” 

“But if they are enemies — ?” 

“Then we have such weapons as had die 
first men who battled with stones, sticks, 
fists and teeth upon this globe. And if all 
else fails — we can still reason with them. 
Why should it benefit any citizen of the 
universe to undo what we have begun to ac- 
complish here? Whether they are Neinians 
or Pleidans, they can only rejoice to see the 
rehabilitation of a planet which may some 



day yield their own kind a home, neighbors 
in space, commerce.” 

With such logic he swayed them. Pre- 
sently even the most fearful of the Neinans 
joined him in the proposal to build a signal 
pyre. 

They selected a spot more than five miles 
distant from the Neinian camp, where crude 
huts now surrounded the industrious water 
machine and its silent brother, not yet in 
operation. The old man led them through 
the rolling hills until, about dark, they came 
to a spot level and open enough for the 
landing of a space car, yet somewhat lower 
than the surrounding country, so that no 
matter how the strangers should arrive, the 
little garrison of Neinians would be above 
them, on the hillsides. 

In die valley they heaped a huge pile of 
the dry, tindor-Iike ancient wood, while other 
members of the band piled up the loose 
stones of the hillsides to form temporary 
fortifications and vantage points from which 
huge boulders might be roiled upon un- 
wary strangers, should they prove hosdle. 
Such weapons as they had they distributed 
among themselves; knives, short, deadly 
Neinian gas-pistols, hammers and other 
blunt tools that might be used in hand-to- 
hand encounter, and finally sharpened sticks, 
such as shepherds might carry as protection 
against snakes or bakers. 

CHAPTER XII 

The Coming of the Stranger 

I r was while they were thus engaged that 
they first saw, through their own teles- 
copes, the approaching monster in space. 
At first they b^ield only a blurred spark in 
the heavens, seemingly infinitely distant. 
But the space-car’s approach was swift. 
Steadily it grew until they beheld the fur- 
ious fire of the nose rockets that was check- 
ing its speed. Then it appeared like a met- 
eorite; with cries of surprise and apprehen- 
sion the Neinians saw it apparently burst 
into flame, bat in a moment they recognized 
it as an illusion. 

The approaching car had now begun to 
fall into the landing maneuvers necessary for 



WONDER STORIES 



ISIO 

alighting on any planet vrith such dense at- 
mosphere as that of Tellus. They saw it 
plunge toward the horizon like a setting 
star, and for more than two hours they saw 
nothing more of it. Some, to whom the sight 
of the ship actually hovering over them had 
brought back all their fear of an attack by 
hostile forces, breathed easier at this, be- 
lieving that perhaps the old man’s deduc- 
tions had been correct; that the strange creift 
had indeed fallen to the surface on the other 
side, to trouble them no more. 

But as quickly as it had disappeared it 
rose again, having made a complete circle 
of the earth. And now they saw that it was 
considerably closer, having lost much of its 
speed and at the same time lessened its al- 
titude. 

“Now is the time for our beacon fire,” 
said the old Tellurian with a tense voice. 
“Light the pyre!” 

In a minute the flames were eating hun- 
grily at the time-dried wood, burning with 
such brilliance in the rich oxygen of the 
atmosphere that the whole glade was almost 
instantly lighted up, as if by a magnesium 
flare. The Neinians, who had not intended 
to expose themselves, scurried for cover, 
hastening to their rough piles of rocks, 
ready to meet the invader, whether friend or 
foe. 

They had not long to wait. With whist- 
ling wings and a fountain of fire bursting 
from rockets at its head, the craft was upon 
them. It came toward the lighted spot like 
a comet, fire flying outward from it. There 
was a heavy impact; the plowed earth shook 
as if clutched in the grip of a distant tem- 
blor. The fire was scattered, mingling its 
sparks with the gigantic display from the 
rocket’s head. Then, in an instant, every- 
thing was quiet, and nearly dark. 

The Neinians waited, tense, for some sign 
of life about the craft. They heard the 
movements of the occupants. The huge 
doors of the air-lock were heard to grate 
open in the darkness. The scientists held 
to each other in paroxysms of dread. What 
grotesque figures might now be issuing 
forth into the Tellurian night? Neinians? 
Pleidans? Or perhaps creatures of a world 
beyond the system of the sun, of forms and 



shapes unknown? Perhaps — • horribte^ 
thought! — ^these creatures had a sense 
sight not dependent upon light but upon 
some other radiation; that they were even 
now being observed though they could not 
see their observers. 

There was a crunching upon the dry soil 
of the glade in which the space-ship had 
come to rest. Embers of the scattered fire, 
stepped upon by some heavy body, glowed 
suddenly in a brief moment of renewed life, 
and expired in a small shower of impotent 
sparks. 

There had certainly been creatures not 
unlike Neinian, Pleidan or Tellurian men 
in the ship. Now they were outside it, 
groping in the darkness to survey the sur- 
face of the planet upon which they had 
found a resting place after so long a jour- 
ney. 

The waiting Neinians heard the old Tel- 
lurian shout his rallying cry. It was the 
signal they had been waiting for. In an in- 
stant they were all upon their feet, rushing 
toward the strange craft with their weap- 
ons, such as they were, ready for the fray 
if one were necessary, taking the strangers 
by surprise. 

The old man’s electric torch suddenly 
stabbed into the darkness before him. A 
dozen other strong beams likewise appeared. 
There was a confused babel of voices in the 
hollow around the belly of the giant craft, 
whose huge bulk now lay outlined against 
the stars. 

“Who are you?” came a wavering cry. 
“We come as friends!” 

S TILL the Neinians made no answer, but 
closed in relentlessly, too long used to 
dealing with a crafty foe to fail to recognize 
this trap. 

The first torch reached the strangers, who 
had withdrawn to their craft and were lined 
up against it, their retreat to the air-lock and 
safety cut off by the quick attack of the 
Neinians. Breathlessly the old man of Tel- 
lus ran his pencil of light from one face to 
another. Then he uttered a cry. The lead- 
er of this craft, of which they had all been 
afraid, was old Alins! 

He stood in the torch-light with his en- 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



mi 



gMeerg, uncertain wbo was attacking him. 
His hands were empty. All the Neinians 
who had come in the second cralt were un- 
armed. 

Instantly the tenseness and apprehension 
of the last few hours dissolved in celebra- 
tion and exclamations of welcome. 

But the old Tellurian and old Alius 
looked at each other gravely. 

“Your water machine?” asked the head 
of the house of Alius, in an eager whisper. 
“You have succeeded in — setting it up?” 
“Yes. It works.” 

“Works? You have created water then?” 
The old Tellurian nodded gravely. The 
erstwhile ruler of Neina held out a wither- 
ed, trembling hand. “Deiminos help us,” 
he said in a tragic, beaten voice. “You have 
saved Tellus, but Neina — Neina is lost des- 
pite all we could do!” 

“Neina lost? And what of Nina?” The 
Tellurian’s grip tightened spasmodically. 
“Have you brought her with you to safety 
Iwre?” 

“I could not,” said old Alius hollowly. 
“She loves Alius Marce, and when he would 
not listen, she remained against my will to 
try defending Neina alone. But as we 
swept up from that tragic earth to warn you 
(rf Neina’s fate 1 saw that she — had failed 
for want of Alius Marce’s help.” 

It was the turn of the old man facing 
him to grow hoju'se, to whisper now. “What 
has becon>e of h?T, Alius? Tell me — what 
did they do with her?” 

“Deiminos forgive me — forgive us all! I 
do not know!” 

New Ancienda 

T HE two patriarchs walked together 
through the hills from the landing place 
of old Allus’s space-craft to the new colony 
of the Neini£U)s beside the ancient lake. 

Morning had come. From the east stream- 
ed die first bright rays of the riung sun with 
such brilliance that old Alius, whose eyes 
had not become accustomed to the nearness 
of the mother of planets even through hb 
long journey from Neina, was forced to 
blink and shade his face with a withered 
hand. As they topped the last rise the Nein- 



ian saw below him a sight as strange and 
weird as any to be found in the solar sys- 
tem: the first colony founded upon a barren 
and deserted planet by men who sought to 
rehabilitate it. 

Before them was a small cluster of gray 
shacks, made by matching together in crude 
fashion the aged dry logs with which the 
region abounded. Beyond them in the great 
hollow there now lay a small body of shim- 
mering water, spread out thinly over the 
surface of the extinct lake, steaming a little 
at one edge where the stream from the water 
machine was pouring into it, cool and quiet 
elsewhere. 

Already, though scarcely two weeks had 
passed since the Neinians had alighted there, 
the settlement was taking on the marks of 
human habitation. Unaccustomed feet had 
worn paths in the rude street betwe«i the 
houses. Not far away the reflector that 
caught energy mysteriously from the skies 
was moving in its diurnal gyrations in con- 
stant contact with the waves arriving from 
the power-house in space. 

The Neinian scientists, their fears of in- 
vasion allayed, were going ^out their busi- 
ness with bustle and energy. Fires were 
glowing in the impromptu laboratory and 
dhop they had set up for the manufacture 
of new water machines to aid the original 
in its gargantuan task. Hammers were 
ringing on metal; wire was being drawn by 
expert hands according to methods in use 
since time immemorial. Glass was being 
fused of materials found nearby on Tellus. 
Already the huge new tube of the second 
water machine, its electrodes in place, was 
being exhausted of air preparatory to being 
set in place upon the trestle waiting for it 
at the side of the growing lake. 

This view old Alius took in with surprised, 
admiring eyes. When he saw the water he 
could hardly suppress an exclamation, for 
at the edges of the new lake, showing faintly 
in the morning light, there were unmistaka- 
ble traces of green — the first sprouts of 
plants just thrusting their eager way through 
the long-barren earth. 

“Where did you get them?” asked the old 
Neinian. “Have you brought seeds from 
Neina to plant on Tellus?” 



1312 



WONDER STORIES 



The Tellurian sihiled. “It was not nec- 
essary,” he replied. “The plants sprung 
up spontaneously; I was as startled as any 
three days ago when I first discovered them 
there. Seeds lying in the soil — who knows 
how many years? — have already tasted of 
our new water and found it good. The 
earth was lying ready for this new machine 
of mine, and rewards us for bringing water 
back where it has so long been dry.” 

“It is a miracle!” declared the Neinian. 
“Perhaps all the earth is watching this small 
handful of men at work here, watching 
quietly and waiting, ready to spring into 
bloom when the time comes.” 

The old Tellurian spoke fervently. “I 
hope so — I know so! We can bring back 
many of the plants that carpeted old Tel- 
lus” — ^his voice saddened — “but as for the 
animals; we must repopulate the globe with 
animals from some other world. Aside 
from bacteria, I doubt if any living crea- 
tures have survived.” 

The two old men, who not many months 
before had been filled with bold plans and 
high hopes, suddenly fell silent at that, re- 
flecting upon the innumerable implications 
of this proposed migration from earth to 
earth; especially upon the difficulties that 
now faced it, with Neina in the hands of 
her enemies and the peoples of the satellites 
leaderless and enslaved. 

T hey walked down the short slope that 
separated them from the village. Hiey 
passed the gleaming space-car that had 
brought the Tellurian and his crew. At 
length they entered the one crooked street 
of the settlement upon which was centered 
the hope of a world and a civilization. 

“In honor of Neina and the house of Al- 
ius,” said the old Telliurian, “we have named 
it — New Ancienda.” 

“New Ancienda!” 

The Tellurian saw tears glistening in old 
Alius eyes, and hastened on, realizing how 
the old man must be wrung by memories of 
his satellite awakened by this name. 

“It will be a prosperous city in due time,” 
the man of EarA declared. “As our supply 
of water increases the main body of thri 
people will have to migrate farther and 



farther south to escape the cold climates 
of these latitudes. New Ancienda is the 
first city of the new world. In it all op- 
pressed peoples in the universe will be for- 
ever welcome.” 

“But are you generating enough water to 
support a city here?” 

“When new machines have been set up — 
larger and more efficient than the original, 
we will fill this lake in a fortnight.” 

“But you lose a great deal by evapora- 
tion.” 

“That wilt not be a serious trouble after 
the first year or so. In a sense it will be 
an aid to our speedy renewal of life on 
Earth, for what goes up into the atmos- 
phere as vapor will come down to land 
again as rain.” The old man grew thought- 
ful. “Already we have had a condensation 
of moisture here,” he confided, as though 
discussing a miracle. “Yesterday morning 
there was a slight dew on the ground near 
the edges of the lake, and in the afternoon 
we beheld a small cloud — perhaps no bigger 
than a robe, but none the less a cloud — < 
floating over our pool.” 

The Tellurian was animated, enthusiastic 
over these small manifestations that herald- 
ed the return of age-old earthly phenomena. 
“We had a cloud, old Alius — the first seen 
here, it may be, in years!” 

“When we have sufficient water we will 
lay out a farm on the flat yonder,” the Tel- 
lurian was saying a little later, when they 
had surveyed the town and examined the 
marvelous machines that were transforming 
the atmosphere into water, “next spring we 
will plant some of the seeds we have brought 
from Neina, and by mid-summer, a year 
from now, we will be able to care for a 
great many — ” 

He went on in a rambling fashion, talk- 
ing to old Alius. But both of them knew 
that the big question was yet to be decided. 
With Neina under the domination of Pleida, 
how could any of her inhabitants be res- 
cued? 

He explained that another site in a neigh- 
boring valley, farther to the south, had al- 
ready been selected for the next village. 
They would have a lake there, too, within 
a few months. Rough houses could h« 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1313 



quickly thrown together, pending the erec- 
tion of more permanent dwellings when 
there were more hands to aid in the work. 

“You have planned it well,” old Alius 
commented dryly, 

“It will take years,” returned the Tellur- 
ian, “to Tnake the earth support any con- 
siderable population at this rate. It will 
take generations, centuries — maybe to the 
end of time — to restore her to the condition 
in which she once rejoiced. But the people 
of Neina are few compared to the ancient 
population of Tellus. Wars, pestilences, the 
coming of the cold — many things have re- 
duced them in numbers so that now in all 
Neina there are hardly more than once oc- 
cupied a large city of the ancient Earth. 

“The people of Neina can find refuge here 
within a year, and it will take that long to 
transport them. As the condition of the 
earth permits, they can increase and multi- 
ply until Tellus is re-peopled by the des- 
cendants of the great houses of your satel- 
lite. 

“And Nina, daughter of the last of the 
Tellurians — if she still lives ... ?” 

At this mention the old man’s voice, which 
had been filled throughout his discussion 
with a kind of forced gaiety and optimism, 
broke with the brief and apprehension he 
had felt since old Alius had brought him 
word of Neina’s downfall. The Neinian pat- 
riarch caught him by the shoulders; they 
stood together beside the new, still lake, with 
the tiny green sprouts coming up from 
Earth about their feet. 

ttlT7E are old men,” murmured old Al- 

» ▼ lus softly. “We are men upon whom 
age wears heavily. Would Deiminos our 
work were done; but it is not. We must 
yet achieve that without which all your ef- 
forts and accomplishments here are worth- 
less ...” 

For a long minute neither spoke. The 
aged Tellurian, with the aid of that inner 
strength which had given fire to his ancient 
joints and inspired the Neinians to prodi- 
gious labors in the flight through space, re- 
gained control of himself. Quietly he beat 
down the weakness that had made him mo- 
mentarily betray himself before his friend. 



He put out his hand firmly and seized that 
of old Alius, whose eyes were downcast, 
whose lips trembled, whose robes of state 
and pomp were stained with the dust of a 
strange planet. 

“Neina’s people can be saved,” said the 
Tellurian. “But it will require a sacrifice. 
Alius. How much are you willing to give 
to see your son and my daughter and their 
subjects safe and happy on this globe?” 

The patriarch spread impotent hands. 
“Alas,” he replied dejectedly, “I have lived 
a long life and I am now near the end of it. 
A year ago I might have given much, but 
now I have nothing — not even the honor 
and respect of my former subjects. For I 
am an outcast and in the very act of my 
coming to bring warning and news to you, 
I have branded myself as a coward and 
covered the ancient and honorable name of 
Alius with shame. 

“I have, to be specific with you, a ser- 
viceable space-craft and its loyal crew, your 
friendship, and this frail remnant of my 
wretched life. If it is possible to help the 
people of Neina by the sacrifice of any — or 
all — of these, I stand ready at your sug- 
gestion.” 

The Tellurian considered briefly. 

“Then we will leave as many men here to 
continue the work as we can spare, and pro- 
ceed to Neina.” 

The man of Earth was himself again as 
he led the way to the workshop. He gave 
swift directions for the loading of the space- 
craft, the re-charging of its oxygen tanks, 
the replenishing of the water supply. 

Before the sun had set the two great rock- 
ets were ready for the return journey to the 
satellite from which they had been launched. 
As soon as darkness made the taking of 
bearings by the stars more certain, they 
were off, two fountains of fire hurrying out- 
ward from the earth. 

Looking back, they beheld the huge bea- 
con which the crew remaining on earth had 
built for their farewell. Flying by them, 
far to the south, they examined through 
their telescopes the giant reflector whose 
faithful transmission of the sun’s fierce heat 
made possible the generation of water at the 
camp below. 



/ 



1314 



WONDER STORIES 



CHAPTER XIII 

A Nation Enslaved 

T he cool blue daylight of Neina filteredi 
across the open spaces of the great plaza 
before the palace of Alius. Ancienda — 
once the most beautiful city of the satellite 
— lay beneath the summer sun, her streets 
no longer clean and bright, her people no 
longer free and happy. For more than the 
space of a Tellurian year the heavy yoke of 
Pleidk had been upon the satellite, and in 
their squalid quarters her citizens cowered 
in horror, awaiting their turn to be beaten 
to the street and driven to the frightful 
platinum mines. 

Every day at dawn long lines of them, fed 
scantily at filthy kitchens administered by 
the Pleidan authorities, marched dolefully 
like members of a chain gang through the 
square. The whippers of Dolmician went 
with them, walking on either side, their 
long lashes going like pistol shots over the 
heads of the eaptives. The road led through 
the city’s main streets to the open country, 
and thence to the horrible mines in which 
the Neinians died by the score, scourged to 
their work until exhaustion overcame them. 

The Neinians without exception were 
shabby, mostly clad in rags. Some wrap- 
ped around their chilled bodies tom pieces 
of cloth taken from ore-saeks. Others had 
sheets or blemkets that also were the beds 
upon which they slept at night. All were 
miserable, hopeless. 

Disease had repeatedly ravaged their 
ranks. The cruelties of Dolmician’s men 
had covered them with scars and deformi- 
ties. Many of the women during the fright- 
ful twelve months since Nina’s and Alius 
Marce’s failure to save the satellite had gone 
to unspeakable fates. Repeatedly the squat, 
frog-like Pleidan soldiers had seized the 
fairer ones out of the marching ranks, some- 
times dishonoring them even in public while 
the poor wretches cried out for help from 
their impotent husbands or lovers in the 
enslaved ranks. Many such ended their 
sufferings voluntarily in the misery of the 
platimun pits after the Pleidans had cast 
diem aside again. 



So it was with fear and terror that the 
long line formed each morning to parade 
through the plaza toward the mines. But 
this morning, as they moved past, they be- 
held a sign that caused many to cry out in 
horror, despite the callousness their pli^t 
had cast upon them. Since the day of the 
capture, Nina and Alius Marce had been 
singled out by the Pleidans for torture and 
cruelty. They had been sent to work under 
heavy guard in the deepest levels of the 
mines. They had been beaten, starved, sub- 
jected to indignities and cruelty. 

But today the leaders were no longer in 
the nveaving line. Instead the enslaved 
.Neinians beheld that in the center of the 
plaza a platform had been erected over- 
night. On the platform was a post, and 
upon this structure, their toes scarcely 
touching the floor beneath, their arms up- 
raised and fastened with thongs, were the 
two persons all Neina reverenced. Today, 
after more than a year of slavery in the 
mines, the satellite’s two leaders had been 
set up upon a torture-pedestal to be a spec- 
tacle! 

Instantly, when they had seen it, a mur- 
mur of questioning and protest arose in the 
Neinian ranks. Disregarding the threats 
of their drivers they paused to see this new 
horror. What could be the meaning of it? 
What great occasion were the Pleidan sol- 
diers now planning, that Nina and Alius 
Marce had been brought from their daily 
torture to be subjected to this indignity? 

A whisper^ scurried through the smitten 
crowd. It could mean but one thing; the 
long-deferred visit of the great Dolmician, 
Emperor of Pleida and her satellites. Dol- 
mician was coming to take up his summer 
quarters on Pleida, bringing with him new 
and stronger armies to garrison the satel- 
lite. He had ordered the public shaming 
of the leaders of Neina to add to the tri- 
umph of his arrival. Perhaps he would 
later order them to be publicly tortured, 
perhaps put to cruel death high on the gib- 
bet in the plaza. 

A LLUS Marce, they could see, was bear- 
- ing the ordeal defiantly. A faint smile 
was on his pale face. His teeth were set. 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1315 



Nin?, the Tellurian, lacked his strength 
of body, but made up for it in fiery resent- 
ment toward her captors. Her d^p black 
hair hung down her back as she stood there, 
her head forcibly turned away from Alius 
Marce. Her eyes were hollow with sad- 
ness, but behind them a light, not of Neina 
but of Tellus, looked out; a gleam of fury 
and self-reliance which the Pleidans had 
been unable to interpret. 

Never, the Neinian throngs thought with 
pity, had this strange woman from another 
planet looked more beautiful; never had the 
metal of her soul been clearer to see, her for- 
titude and bravery more on display. 

But they were not permitted to gaze long. 
The guards, themselves taken aback for a 
moment at the strangeness and brutality of 
the sight in the plaza, applied themselves 
anew to their bitter daily task. The whips 
cracked. Women screamed. The plaza 
rang with shouts, lamentations, curses. The 
line, a long, gray snake, moved on. It 
filed past the foot of the platform, upon 
which the sufferers were silent while the 
people went by. 

The sun was rising, casting its pale rad- 
iance upon them lovingly. Beneath the plat- 
form stood two guards. Nina, tied with her 
back to Alius Marce in such a way that 
they could not see each other, spoke softly, 
murmuring words of fortitude and strength. 

Alius Marce, who had been for a long 
time silent, sighed profoundly. 

“It would have been better to have died,” 
he said at length. “It would have been 
finer to have had my space-ship torn open, 
to have felt the icy kiss of space. It would 
have been better to die even in the cold, 
frightful mines. We have too much strength, 
Nina!” 

She quieted him, speaking again softly. 
“Marce,” she said, “do not lose heart yet.” 

“Nina — you are so brave! I was a proud 
fool the day you showed me how to save 
Neina.” 

Her voice when she replied to this con- 
fession was filled with compassion. “My 
Marce — ” she paused momentarily, then 
went on again — “you have learned humility 
and wisdom since then. We shall think no 
more of k. Look to the future, Marce!” 



“The future!” tie smiled bitterly. 
“Everything is lost now, even my courage!” 

Far off they heard the shouts of the driv- 
ers flailing the Neinians. Many had been 
set aside for punishment for real or fancied 
infractions, or as a warning to the miserable 
race that toiled in the mines. They heard 
the groans and screams of the victims, writh- 
ing in the torture. They heard the gleeful 
barking of the dog-like animals that al- 
ways attended these daily autos-da-fe — - 
Neina’s scavengers, hoping for an oppor- 
tunity to satisfy their appetites with the 
blood of the miserable souls who suffered 
there. 

Again Nina started the conversation: 
“My father has never failed,” she murmur- 
ed. “If there is any way at all, he will res- 
cue us.” 

He replied bitterly. “So, a little while 
ago, would I have spoken of my father. But 
in our nation’s direst extremity he has for- 
saken us.” 

“Perhaps he went for help.” 

“From whom? In all the universe there 
is not one world willing to help Neina, who 
fought for the freedom of all.” 

The Coming of Dolmician 

T HERE had suddenly sounded from the 
streets below the song of unmuted 
trumpets, the thunder of great drums, the 
clash of brass cymbals. The garrison of 
the Pleidans was assembling hastily. Sol- 
diers came running from their barracks, for- 
saking their gambling and drinking. Near 
and far throughout the city were heard the 
atrocious stridulations the Pleidans regard- 
ed as martial music. The troops, stung by 
the barbarous rhythms, began forming in 
long lines across the plaza. 

Looking upward Nina and Alius Marce 
beheld the purpose of these preparations. 
Already in the blue distance of the daytime 
sky the approaching fleet of Dolmician 
could be seen; the wasp-like convoy craft 
flanking the huge space-barge which was the 
royal ship of the fat Emperor. 

It was true then, after all; Dolmician was 
coming! Throughout the city and even into 
the deeps of the grisly mines, went a kind 



1316 



WONDER STORIES 



of premonitory shiver. The Pleidan sol- 
diers felt it — so did the Neinian wretches 
whom they had enslaved. Dolmician, 
whose cruelty was the talk of five worlds, 
whose sordid revelries outranked the tawdry 
displays even of the fat monarchs whose 
heir he was! 

What changes would he make in this en- 
slaved satellite, once he had taken up resi- 
dence there for the warm season, as was 
the custom of kings since time immemorial? 

The man and woman waiting for him on 
the wooden platform saw the approaching 
space-ships as a man might gaze upon an evil 
destiny. Whatever might befall the other 
Neinians, the eu-rival of Dolmician could 
mean nothing less than torture and probably 
death for them. How quickly or how slow- 
ly would depend on the mood of Dolmician. 
If he felt sportive they might be kept alive 
in tofture for days, weeks; perhaps even 
months. If he came angry he might be 
more quick, therefore more merciful. 

Once — twice the swift ships swooped over 
the waiting city. The soldiers were all in 
place now, guarding the path their emperor 
would take from the great public landing, 
field to the palace of Alius. The proces- 
sional cars were already drawn up, waiting 
for him. The musicians waited nervously, 
and Salvarius Garde, in whose hands the rule 
of the satellite had been placed pending 
Dolmician’s arrival, strode up and down, 
trying to. hide his feelings beneath a cloak 
of impatience. 

A third time the fleet of the Emperor 
passed overhead in its landing maneuvers, 
much lower now. A fourth and fifth. The 
foremost ship swooped suddenly to the 
ground — struck with a grinding shock. ' 

The others followed, settling in formation, 
with the huge craft that carried Dolmician 
safe in the middle. Instantly the bands 
struck up, blowing as if the fate of the em- 
pire depended upon the volume of their* 
music. Slaves in bright green costumes un- 
rolled a long strip of red carpet, of a mater- 
ial like plush, which reached from the lar- 
gest of the golden street cars to the door of 
Dolmician’s ship. 

Doors opened with deafening clangs. 
Guards from the planet appeared, pouring 



forth to assist and protect the Emperor, 
The soldiers, not to be restrained in their 
attempt to add further to the din, raised a 
shout of welcome and adulation. 

Last of all, swinging outward on noise- 
less hinges, the door of the huge royal craft 
was opened. The courtiers came through it 
first, in their brilliant colored robes. Then 
came the court women and the concubines, 
the pages, the scientists of the court. There 
was a pause. At last out stepped Dolmi- 
cian, walking with the aid of his staff of 
authority, assisted by two guards, one at 
either side. 

The orgulous splendor of this arrival was 
such as to dazzle the eyes of all beholders. 
Through the now gaping door of the royal 
craft came a prodigious beam of golden 
light, playing on the back of the Emperor 
with such brilliance that even in the day- 
light he seemed to be the molten, misshapen 
embodiment of it. His hands, arms, face 
and belly seemed to drip golden motes of 
light; the radiance poured around him, 
fondling him. 

S O overcome were the ignorant Pleidan 
spectators by this theatrical device that 
many of them who^had never before seen 
the Emperor fell down upon their faces be- 
fore the effulgence which they believed to 
pour from him.' 

Dolmician entered the car. The beam 
disappeared. But now he sat on a high 
dais surrounded by his courtiers and wo- 
men, in robes of heavy gold and platinum. 
Upon his head rested the massive crown of 
the five-world empire, its jewels flashing in 
the sun. 

Salvarius Garde gave a command, arising 
from his kneeling posture in the dust by 
the side of the rich carpet his Emperor had 
trod. The bands, which had momentarily 
faltered in their outpourings, began again. 
The procession started through, the streets 
while the soldiers, trained for such cere- 
monies, cheered until their throats went 
hoarse and rent their bright uniforms to 
make flags to wave at Dolmician. 

The first of the great cars moved into the 
plaza. The second came close after it. 
Straight across the open space they went, 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1317 



toward the great entrance to the palace of 
Alius. The course, passing through the 
double lines of soldiers marking it out, led 
them directly past the wooden platform upon 
which stood Nina and Alius Marce. 

Dolmician perceived them from a dis- 
tance. He saw how cruelly they had been 
trussed up in his honor, how the thongs cut 
their flesh; how the post made them com- 
panions in misery, yet prevented them the 
comfort of seeing each other in their tor- 
ture. 

“Who are these?” her demanded jovially 
of Salvarius Garde, who rose alongside. 

“Alius Marce — ^the princeling of Neina 
who dared to stand against you — and the 
Tellurian girl, Nina, who conspired with 
him.” 

“But what of old Alius and the old Tel- 
lurian? 1 had thought also to have a spec- 
tacle of them in honor of my visit.” 

“Alas, great Emperor, we have not yet 
captured the old fox and his Tellurian ad- 
viser. They have escaped into space, where 
both may be flying even now into the hot 
face of die sun, for aught vTe know.” 

“Hah!” The Emperor frowned. “I had 
planned to have a spectacle of them!” His 
face experienced his sudden displeasure. 

Salvarius Garde bowed as deeply as his 
mount would permit. “I am sorry,” he 
said. “They escaped before we took the 
satellite, else you should have had them!” 

Dolmician’s anger for a moment twisted 
his features. 

“You will search for them,” he command- 
ed darkly, “if you have to ransack all space. 
I will have a spectacle of those two old 
men.” 

Salvarius Garde bowed deeply again 
without answering, reflecting bitterly but 
silently upon the unreasonableness of mon- 
archs. 

But Dolmician was in too fine a mood 
to be long downcast. A second glance at 
the torture-post of Nina and Alius Marce 
restored his good spirits. “WTien we get 
abreast of them,” he ordered, “the proces- 
sion must come to a halt. 1 will question 
these two. I will decide here and now what 
shall be done with them!” 



CHAPTER XIV 

The Return to Neina 

T he birds of Neina circled over a small, 
deserted isle in the sea not many miles 
from Ancienda, uttering wild cries of alarm. 
Fortunately there were no Pleidans or Nein- 
ians in the neighborhood to hear them, for 
the party from Tellus had alighted secretly 
there. 

It was a barren and secluded part of the 
satellite, one of a number of rocky islands 
that gave no ground for inhabitants because 
of the nature of the soil and the character 
of the vegetation. 

A little back from the coast, the two huge 
rocket-ships that had borne them lay in a 
narrow valley, one behind the other. The 
walls of the vale were sufficiently high to 
hide the craft from chance voyagers on the 
surface of the turbulent, chilly sea. Their 
upper surfaces had been camouflaged by the 
occupants, who had cut and spread over 
them piles of bushes. Navigators in the air 
above the island would have flown past 
without an inkling that below them rested 
two such space-ships, so cleverly had they 
been concealed amid the scrubby growths of 
the surrounding hillsides and valleys. 

Seven days had passed since their arrival 
there. Now inside the foremost rocket two 
old men sat in the control cabin and talked 
of space and science and philosophy, touch- 
ing on everything except that which was up- 
permost in their minds. A week earlier an 
exploration party had been dispatched to 
the mainland, to learn what had transpired 
since the coming of the Pleidans. Now the 
party was coming back again. Watches sta- 
tioned on the hills had seen the boat pull out 
from the mainland shore, had seen it labor- 
ing in the waves of the ocean that surround- 
ed their retreat. Most of the occupants of 
the two space-ships were already congrega- 
ting on the.beach, ready to receive the news 
and hurry it to the leaders in the craft. 

But the two old men were holding aloof, 
as if for them no problems existed except 
philosophical ones. They were talking of 
the b^avior of kings and princes, of his- 
tory and deeds of heroism. 



1318 



WONDER STORIES 



“It was the custom of the generals and 
rulers of Earth to avoid danger; they fol- 
lowed their armies rather than led them, 
or stayed in pompous palaces and received 
messages from the battle by relay and elect- 
ricity,” said the old Tellurian, taking up 
again a topic that had afforded them many 
hours of discussion already during the 
weary days. 

“And by what curious Tellurian sophistry 
did they justify that?” asked the Neinian. 

“It was believed — and this they often put 
forth in their own defense — that the ruler 
of a nation or the leader of an army is more 
important by far than any or all the mem- 
bers of the body over which he had com- 
mand; therefore it was more wise for him 
to remain out of danger while his subjects 
died than for him to plunge into the battle 
himself, or to otherwise risk his skin.” 

“A quaint idea,” answered old Alius, 
tasting the words slowly. “I can half grant 
its truth in the case of a general, who must 
remain where he can direct. But as for 
your kings, princes, presidents — ^the men 
who declared the wars, or by whose awk- 
wardness or ineptness the danger came? 
Did they not go out to the battle line and 
show the way by example? Or greater still, 
expose themselves to extreme danger, such 
as no common soldier among their armies 
would dare, in order to assure victory?” 
The old man of Earth smiled. “Not at 
all,” he admitted. “I am afraid our kings 
and pr^idents were made of no such met- 
tle. They took the position, rather, that 
they were the country, being the figurehead 
and symbol of its government; that the sol- 
diers were fighting to protect them. As it 
was in the ancient game of chess, all places 
on the board must be ready for supreme 
sacrifice to save the king.” 

“Ahh— ” 

T he Neinian was silent for a long time. 

The door of the room stood open. Be- 
yond it, through the airlock, they could see 
the ground outside, covered with bushes, 
sloping toward the hillside. In the distance 
there was a burst of shouting as if the frail 
boat from the mainland had at length come 
ashore. Neither of the old men moved at 



the sound, but old Alins resumed his talk- 
ing, picking up the conversation abruptly, 
as if its lagging had just occurred to him. 

“Have you ever heard,” he asked, leaning 
toward his companion across the table that 
separated them, “the story of Alius Svegus, 
my grandfather eight times removed, who 
was disgraced before his people through no 
fault of his own, but who redeemed himself 
by an act of such stupendous bravery that, 
though it cost his life, it won back a world 
and made his people free?” 

The Tellurian was silent. Alius went on 
without an answer. “There was Mother Al- 
ius, too, more recently, who — But I need 
not tell you specific instances. Kings, princ- 
es, heads of great houses among us have al- 
ways been ready — willing to sacrifice them- 
selves when dMger threatened their peo- 
ple” 

The Tellurian nodded solemnly. A babel 
of voices was drawing nearer to the space- 
craft. The watchers on the beach were re- 
turning with the members of the reconnoiter- 
ing expedition. Their voices were high with 
excitement. Still the old men ignored their 
approach. They were looking into each oth- 
er’s eyes, and seeing understanding there. 

Suddenly the Tellurian rose and took old 
Alius firmly by the hand. 

“There was an old story among us,” he 
said softly, “of a great leader, taking his 
people from wilderness into life, who climb- 
ed a high mountain and saw the promised 
land, but was destined never to enter into 
it—” 

His voice came suddenly to a pause. The 
messengers were already at the door, clam- 
oring to tell what they had learned. 

Alius was first to question them. His 
voice, steady enough a moment before, now 
began to tremble. His face was filled with 
eagerness. “Tell me,” he asked, “what is 
the state of my beloved Ancienda? What 
did you see when first you made your way 
into the city that was foremost on the satel- 
lite?” 

“We saw people beaten, shamed, publicly 
tortured in the streets; women degraded be- 
fore their men, the city a shambles, the 
swine of Pleida occupying the fine apart- 
ments once reserved only for the nobles of 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1319 



Neina.” Their leader spoke for them; the 
others nodding silently. 

“And— what of Alius Marce?” 

It was the Tellurian who had asked the 
second question. Those who had just re- 
turned noted that his voice trembled also. 
This question, they knew, lay next to the 
one he had so far refrained from asking, 
though it was on his heeirt. 

“We saw him — standing upon a kind of 
gibbet in tbe great plaza, to be mocked by 
the Pleidans and shamed before his people.” 
“And Nina?” For a moment the ans- 
wer did not come. The leader of the expe- 
dition, the old man saw, was loath to speak. 
“Where is she?” 

“Master — she is a public example with 
Alius Marce. “This day they took her out 
with him to stand, strung up hy the hands, 
before the groaning slaves of Neina. The 
Pleidans spat upon them and defiled them 
with words and shouting ...” 

The Message 

A t this the other Neinjans put their 
heads down and murmured, fearing for 
the old Tellurian’s reason, for they saw a 
strange expression come into his face. 

“A prisoner?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then she is still alive! She is at least 
alive!” the Tellurian cried it out. “I have 
still something to fight for and to live for 
in this universe!” 

He was like a man suddenly released from 
a dungeon in which he had been long im- 
prisoned. The Neinians stared at him 
amazed, for to a Neinian nothing, even death, 
could be worse than public disgrace. Yet 
here was this Tellurian in transports of re- 
lief and gladness! 

“Now it is time for us to strike,” he ex- 
claimed. “Now we must liberate Ancien- 
da!” 

“But you do not understand,” the scout 
leader exclaimed in return. “Dolmician is 
here — on Neina. His soldiers are as the 
leaves of grass. He has taken up residence 
here; it was for his triumphal coming that 
Alius Marce and the Tellurian girl were 
placed in the plaza. It was that he might 



see them there and judge them, and mete out 
punishment upon them as he saw fit.” 
“Dolmician? Dolmician here!” The 
old Tellurian puckered up his lips, as 
though he were about to whistle. But no 
sound came forth. “So!” he went on, “and 
what was his judgment upon the two when 
he beheld them in the plaza?” 

“At first he mocked them, calling out 
questions while the crowd roared with laugh- 
ter. T hear,’ he said, ‘that the father of one 
of you was a cowardly jackal-dog, of the 
other a nanny-goat that ran of fright. Now 
tell me, which is which?’ 

“They would not answer, so he tried 
again: ‘I hear that one of you is a great 
space-soaring eagle, who loses battles in the 
air; and the other is a blind-mole who tun- 
nels in the earth, and loses nevertheless on 
the ground. Now tell me again, which one 
of you is which? Which is the woman, and 
which is the suckling pig?’ 

“With that they did not answer again, and 
the Emperor pretended great anger at their 
incivility, ‘ll^ere are the whippers?’ he 
cried. ‘Are they to stand by and see my 
most civil questions go unheeded?’ ” 

“And then— ’” 

“The whippers came running from the 
ranks, and curled their long lashes against 
the bodies of the two tied to the post.” 
“Then did they answer?” 

“Master, neither would cry out or answer 
or beg mercy, as Dolmician expected. I 
saw blood run from the torn skin of Nina, 
but she did not flinch from the lash. In- 
stead she stared impassively at the Emperor, 
as if she were stone and he an object of no 
importance. But Alius Marce smiled until 
his white teeth showed between his lips, but 
he made no sound. 

“Then Dolmician held up his hand to 
stop it. ‘They shall not he whipped to 
death,’ he commanded. ‘It is too easy for 
them. Instead, let them be brought out into 
the plaza tomorrow, and lashed to the pole 
as they are now, so that all Neina may see 
how merciful is Dolmician to his enemies!’ 
The crowd roared again at this, but Dolmi- 
cian commanded silence. ‘And when the 
time is two hours past the middle of the 
■day,’ he finished, ‘Neina shall also see how 



1320 



WONDER STORIES 



Dolmician kills his enemies, for I shall come 
then to this same spot and show you new 
tortures I have brought with me from 
Pleida!’” 

T he Tellurian was flushed with emotion 
at the end of this recital, “Proceed!” 
he command^ed tersely. 

The leader of the scouting party went on. 
“There is little more. When Dolmician had 
finished speaking the caravan drove on into 
the portal of the palace of Alius. For it is 
there, Masters, that Dolmician will make his 
home. Meanwhile, Salvarius Garde has 
started search for both of you. He has been 
ordered to produce you before the Emperor, 
even if it is necessary to fly through space 
as far as the sun to catch you and bring 
you back.” 

But neither of the old men had heard the 
leader’s last remarks. Both were busy with 
their thoughts. 

“What do you say, old Alius,” the Tel- 
lurian demanded. “Does Dolmician’s pres- 
ence here defeat our plans? Is there no hope 
now ^o save Neina?” 

The head of the house of Alius straight- 
ened his shoulders, threw his proud old head 
back. He spoke to the Neinians: 

“We will send a message to Nina and Al- 
ius Marce, and to all the people of Neina 
today,” he commanded. “To my son and 
the Tellurian girl you will transmit it wrap- 
ped around this stone, which is a piece of 
red granite from the Earth. To the en- 
slaved Neinians you will transmit it by word 
of moutb, going into the mines and hovels all 
tlirough the night, until all have received 
it. For the rest you must depend on me!” 
He placed a gaunt hand upon the shoulder 
of the silent Tellurian. 

“The message Is this: When the great pal- 
ace of Alius shall fly on the wind like 
thistledown, then you shall know that Neina 
is free, that Tellus awaits, that help is at 
hand.” 

The Neinian members of the expedition, 
hearing this, looked at one another helpless- 
ly, but took the message nevertheless and 
transmitted it. 



CHAPTER XV 

In His Enemy’s Hands 

T he great Dolmician, emperor of Pleida 
and her nine satellites, sat amid his 
courtiers and hangers-on in the palace of Al- 
ius at Ancienda and reflected with lusty 
Pleidan distaste on the graceful, almost 
Gothic beauty of the palaces and houses of 
the leaders of Neina. 

His own palace at Nealoma, capital city of 
the planet, was an enormous, squat, ramb- 
ling structure, built throughout of gleaming 
stone, richly and vulgarly ornamented with 
patterns of gold, silver and platinum. It 
was pretentious, grotesque in its costly ug- 
liness; a hideous squat monument to the 
cruelty, lust and garish bad taste of a long 
line of Pleidan rulers. It was such a pal- 
ace that Dolmician preferred, but there was 
nothing like if anywhere on the little satel- 
lite, and for the time being he had to be 
content. 

He rested among cushions in the great in- 
ner chamber, his short, ugly body decked 
with raiment of many colors, each signify- 
ing some rank, power or dominion usurped 
either by himself or his ancestors. His 
head sat close upon his shoulders, connected 
by a thick neck as wide as bis jowls. His 
haunches were heavy, and his belly round 
and bloate^ with too much easy living. But 
his face was the most unpleasant of all. 

His mouth was wide and thin-lipped, par- 
elleling the line of a pointed chin that con- 
trived to twist his features into a continual 
crafty grin, even when it was in repose. His 
nose was short, almost invisible. The nos- 
trils opened outward instead of downward, 
showing two breathing holes above his lips 
like those of a horse. It was his eyes that 
betrayed his unending malice. They were 
small and piggish. At the outer corners in- 
numerable tiny wrinkles spread out fanwise 
toward his temples. 

Close beside him sat the court women on 
their cushions. The ones on either side of 
him were his favorites. They were fondling 
him as he returned their caresses openly, 
caring nothing for the eyes of at least half 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1321 



a hundred courtiers and attendants who sat 
farther back. 

All were drinking the heavy, greasy wine 
of the Pleidan court, repugnant and over- 
rich to other palates, but considered a great 
delicacy to all true Pleidans. Dolmician 
drank freely from a huge platinum bowl 
which he held in one jeweled, pudgy hand. 
The others had smaller cups. 

“The platinum of Neina!” he shouted, 
holding up his cup to be refilled. The nob- 
les and the women laughed, responding to 
his remark as to a toast. “Here is a cup 
that cost a good many worthless Neinian 
livesi” 

Again they laughed. It was a huge joke 
among them, the enslavement of the peoples 
of the satellite. 

“Salvarius Garde reports that he will 
double their production by placing whip]>er8 
at every level in the mines,” shouted a court- 
ier. 

“The shipments are already being sent to 
fill the royal metal houses,” another called. 
“We shall have to transport a few thousand 
slaves to Nealoma to build new bins for 
this Neinian platinum!” 

At these sallies the great Dolmician, half 
drunk, lay back upon his cushions and roar- 
ed with heavy laughter. “We have caught 
them all except the old Tellurian and old 
Alius. They put their tails between their 
legs and ran away into space. It would be 
a good thing for them if the sun has got 
them ! ” _ 

A courtier laughed. “Aye, for if he 
hasn’t, Dolmician will in good time!” 

A nother took up this line of boasting, 
which so pleased the Emperor. “The 
son of old Alius is already strung up again 
today in public, for our men to spit upon 
until time for the tortures!” 

“And the daughter of the old Tellurian, 
whom he left behind. Is she out there too?” 
“She is. Master.” 

Dolmician half rose, as if to go and see 
them for himself, but settled back again, 
chuckling. ' 

“It yet lacks two hours of the appointed 
time,” he observed. “I would not spoil the 
soldiers’ fun by beginning before they had 



assembled to watch Dolmician’s skill!” 

At this the whole assemblage shouted with 
laughter and appreciation, but Dolmician 
waved them down, his eyes sparkling and 
shrewd. “I promise you,” he said,” that if 
we catch the two old men it will not be the 
soldiers that shall have all the fun. We’ll 
have the cowardly old fools before us here 
— and you shall observe, in private how Dol- 
mician treats his special ancient enemies!” 

Outside th6 palace, in the broad plaza, a 
great throng of Pleidan soldiers had gath- 
ered, drawn together by some object of cur- 
iosity, anger or contempt; some nucleus that 
was moving slowly and steadily toward the 
entrance of the great hall of the palace. As 
the object of its emotion advanced, the crowd 
also moved, still surrounding the attraction 
like phagocytes. 

That object was an old man, a Neinian. 
He had been beaten and robbed, and he was 
now suffering silently under the contemp- 
tuous cries, the epithets and the more phy- 
sical insults of the Pleidan crowd. But like 
a machine without emotions either of hat- 
red or shame, with only a dogged knowledge 
of a thing that must be done and endless 
determination to do it, he was moving tow- 
ard the palace and Dolmician. 

It was old Alius. 

On either side of him marched a member 
of the Pleidan civilian-police, a kind of 
home-guard soldier, brought over for his own 
protection by Dolmician. They were hold- 
ing the old man roughly, yet with a certain 
respect, despite the threatening attitude of 
the crowd. It was they who made it pos- 
sible for him to proceed toward the palace, 
for they were opening the way ahead by the 
continual threat of their weapons. 

Old Alius’ right hand was empty, but in 
the left he held a glistening black object en- 
graved with a fine pattern of white metal and 
embossed with the insignia of his house. It 
was a kind of amulet, a symbol of authority. 
To hold it so, in the palm of the left hand, 
lightly gripped, was a token of truce or sur- 
render, assuring the wearer protection and 
some position of respect while he sought an 
official among his enemies with whom he 
might parley or surrender himself as a pri- 
soner. 



1322 



WONDER STORIES 



The noisy crowd with its silent kernel pro- 
gressed along the street toward the palace. 
When they reached the huge open portal, 
through which a sloping stone hallway swept 
toward the audience chamber, old Alius call- 
ed a halt. “Send in word,” he commanded 
calmly, in a low voice. “Tell Dolmician 
that old Alius is here to seek sanctuary with 
him. He will be glad to hear from me!” 

A messenger was dispatched. The old 
man waited patiently, his head bowed, ap- 
parently oblivious to the curiosity and inso- 
lence of the Pleidan soldiery. By lifting 
his head he might have gazed upon Nina 
and Al)us Marce, trussed at the center of the 
plaza. But they, he was aware, had not 
watched his shameful progress across the 
plaza, had not recognized him, so sunk were 
they in misery already. With a shrug of 
his shoulders he forbore to call their at- 
tention now to him, or to say a word of 
farewell. 

It was with similar feelings that he looked 
at the proud arched door before him, re- 
membering how many times he had trod that 
hallway in happier times, amid the shouts of 
subjects instead of the jeers of captors. That 
Dolmician was now using his own house 
filled old Alius with disgust and loathing, 
but he steeled himself to bear it, as he was 
bearing the indignities now being offered 
him. 

One of the Pleidans called: “Can this be 
the proud ruler of Neina?” 

Another shouted: “The old lion of An- 
cienda is now a supplicant at the feet of 
Dolmician. It would serve him right if 
we tortured him publicly and sent him in to 
the Emperor in pieces!” 

The Chair of Torture 

A t this suggestion, the first concrete of- 
fer of violence, there was an angry 
surging in the crowd. Hands plucked at the 
frayed robe of the deposed ruler. His two 
guards beat them down. 

“Alius,” murmured one of the guards, 
“there is no reason why we should not turn 
you over to your enemies here on the spot, 
but you have come bearing your insignia of 
surrender, and we shall obtain for you an 



interview with the Emperor, if it is possible. 
Look sharply — there is a break in the crowd 
in front of you. Dash through it and into 
the palace. The soldiery will not dare to 
follow you there. You will be safe until 
the messenger returns with instructions.” 

The old man saw that an opening had in- 
deed been made toward the front. But he 
looked steadfastly into the eyes of his guards 
and refused to follow their suggestion. 

“1 have come this time to Ancienda as a 
supplicant, it is true,” he said, “but the ruler 
of Neina does not run from a rabble. Your 
arms are sufficient to protect me; I shall 
remain here until the messenger comes.” 

He said it so proudly that for a moment 
even the noisier members of the crowd were 
silent, observing the regal bearing of this 
despised and dishonored old man. His 
words did more to quiet them than the ef- 
forts of his guards. 

Before the men on the outer fringe of the 
rabble could renew their demands for his 
blood, ample evidence came to them that 
the Emperor had heard of old Alius’ pres- 
ence. 

It came in the form of a sqpiad of soldiers, 
part of the iimer palace guards, preceded by 
three trumpeters blowing loud blasts upon 
their horns. With them returned the mes- 
senger, who eagerly pointed out the former 
ruler of Neina, as if there might be some 
doubt as to which one of the crowd he was. 

The captain of the palace guards im- 
mediately took charge. 

“Are you armed?” he demanded. 

Old Alius made no answer except to raise 
his hands. The guards and the people saw 
through his torn and soiled raiment. There 
were obviously no weapons upon him. His 
left hand clutched the pathetic bauble that 
had been an indication of his rank and was 
now a token of surrender. His right was 
empty — a withered old hand that had once 
gestured with authority, but which was now 
not sufficient even to hold a staff to aid 
his faltering steps. 

The guard nodded curtly, his heavy, frog- 
like head moving awkwardly on his neck. 
The two members of the planetary police 
stepped back; the squad of palace guards 
formed a small hollow square, with old Ai- 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1323 



lus in the middle. With the trumpeters 
again ahead of them, they marched into the 
edifice that yawned before them, toward the 
inner room where Dblmician sat surround- 
ed by his women and his nobles, ready to 
receive this deposed and despised former 
ruler of a satellite. 

Slaves were pouring more wine into the 
platinum goblets. Old Alius held one in his 
right hand, smelled the stuff and calmly 
poured it out upon the burnished floor with 
a wry smile. 

“I appreciate your hospitality,” he said 
in mock apology, “but I am no barbarian. 
1 cannot drink this stuff.” 

Dolmician was livid with rage. A captive 
had dared to insult him in the public hall, 
before his nobles! 

“You come here as a supplicant, asking 
mercy of your rightful master,” he shouted. 
“Then you insult me when I offer you wine 
• — the royal wine of Pleida, which is good 
enough — too good, in fact — for any Neinian 
swine!” 

He roused himself from his cushions, sat 
upright. He continued his tirade, shaking 
a pudgy hand toward old Alius, who stood 
silently among the guards. 

“You were a coward — you ran away from 
Neina when you saw that we had conquered 
her. Now you come here before me, snivel- 
ling, dissembling, begging mercy for your 
withered old bones. Mercy — ^for you, when 
your people have been enslaved to pay for 
your own and your son’s stubbornness — ” 

H e paused to blow for breath, his face 
apoplectic. Old Alius still stood be- 
fore him without any visible display of 
emotion. Dolmician saw that the old man 
with his quiet fortitude was the more power- 
ful figure; that he was only making a spec- 
tacle of himself before the others in the 
room. He smiled, grew crafty. His eyes 
gleamed maliciously as he continued in a 
subdued, honeyed tone, speaking this time 
to the nobles and the women: 

“But after all, he is an old man, is he 
not?” he questioned, mockingly. “Why 
then we shall forget our just resentment of 
his conduct, and he shall amuse us with his 



antics. Guards, bring for this gentleman 
the special chair — the guest chair — ” 

He waved indolently toward an alcove. 
There, as the curtain 'was raised, the assem- 
blage saw the hideous Chair of Dolmician — ■ 
the chair renowned throughout the empire, 
from whose seat no one bidden to rest there 
ever got up alive. It was the chair of re- 
fined and subtle cruelties that had been the 
end of many a state prisoner, the chair that 
went everywhere with Dolmician, as much a 
symbol of his power as his crown. 

“There!” Dolmician laughed with satis- 
faction as they dragged it out, wheeling it 
upon rollers to a spot near old Alius. “It 
is my choicest honor — to sit there. It is 
the chair I reserve for my most select 
friends — ” 

He paused, his lips parted expectantly. 
Old Alius glanced at the implement before 
him, and smiled in return. 

“Very well,” he said quietly, “since it is 
your desire, I shall sit in it. The chair 
looks innocent enough.” 

There was a suppressed murmur in the 
chamber as he stood before the engine that 
would surely mean his death by torture. 
None dared to warn him; yet several would 
have, since he seemed so innocent of Dol- 
mician’s real intent. Calmly he turned his 
face toward the emperor, reached back and 
grasped the arms of the hideous trap, and 
lowered himself into it. 

“There,” he said. “I am seated — ” His 
eyes swept the room, scanning the faces of 
those present, and coming back at length to 
the laughing countenance of Dolmician. 
“But — ” he continued abruptly, in an even 
tone, though with such steely assurance that 
the whole room was swept into a shocked si- 
lence by his words — “I warn you, Dolmi- 
cian, not to give the signal that I see is even 
now on your lips. This chair, so long as 
you do not direct otherwise, is only a chair, 
and I advise you to allow it to remain so 
until you have heard me out.” 

He held up his right hand to enforce a 
continuance of the silence his words had 
wrought. The gesture was so imperious that 
even the emperor’s face sobered and his ton- 
gue was still. The members of the palace 
guard hovered over the prisoner, but he dia- 



1324 



WONDER STORIES 



rgBrded them, leaning forward casually to 
continue his remarks as calmly as if they 
were only part of the conversation of a mid- 
summer’s day. His manner deceived no 
one, least of all the Emperor who detected 
in this man’s tone a dangerous timbre, a 
note as metallic and confident 'as the sound 
of a saw. 

“I came here,” said old Alius, “because 
I had a favor to ask of you, Dolmician. In 
doing so I dedicated myself to death, for I 
well knew that I should not escape from 
your palace alive.” He shrugg^ his 
shoulders ever so slightly, as if to signify 
that it was of great moment what became 
of him. 

“But in order to make sure that you 
should not accomplish my demise before you 
had granted the favor I am about to ask of 
you, I brought along something that should 
be of interest to all present.” 

S LOWLY he extended both his hands, 
palms upward. In the right there is 
nothing, but in the left they saw his amulet 
glistening, a black bobbin half the size of an 
egg. And as he showed it they perceived 
that be held fast to it at one spot with his 
thumb, never for an instant relaxing his 
pressure at that point. 

He smiled a little as they gazed at it. 
“The amulet is hollow,” he explained, “and 
contains about an ounce of a most powerful 
explosive. The old Tellurian prepared it 
for me, supplying likewise a detonating 
mechanism that works instantly. All I need 
do is lift the pressure of that thumb and we 
should all be blown to atoms, together with 
this palace and its guards and a portion of 
the city around us. But stay — do not 
move. 

“If I see any man stirring before I give 
him leave I shall be tempted to lift my 
thumb. As for you. Emperor, I charge you 
do not order the current to be turned into 
this chair, for 1 shall never die by torture, 
and you will not live to triumph over me.” 
When he had finished there was a hush 
so intense in the hall that the cries of the 
rabble outside the palace gathering before 
the two sufferers on the dais, were clearly 
audible. 



Dolmician was trembling like a man with 
ague. He could scarcely gain command of 
himself. 

“Speak,” he <)ommanded hoarsely, “what 
have you come here to ask of me?” 

The voice of the old man was terrible in 
its quiet intensity as he replied. 

“Let my people go!” 

“Don’t be a fool! I shall not do that.” 

“Very well then, it shall be done for 
you.” 

Old Alius raised his steady left hand. 
“Already my thumb is tired. I have held 
this weapon for a long while. But before 
I go, and before you go with me, Dolmician, 
let me tell you that I had arranged also for 
this contingency. Plans are already afoot 
upon the satellite for revolt. Backed up by 
support from the planet your soldiers would 
probably win and the revolution could not 
succeed. But with you blown to bits, your 
palace and the capital city in ruins, your 
empire shaken and disorganized, we can 
sweep them out of our cities and hunt them 
down like rats. And that is what will hap- 
pen, if you do not give the word!” 

Dolmician stared at bis prisoner with 
crafty eyes. 

“And if I do yield,” he said, “what 
then?” 

“I shall hold to my amulet until 1 have 
assured myself that your promise has been 
made good. Then, since I cannot release it 
without death to myself, I shall go to some 
waste desert place outside the city — and 
raise my thumb.” 

“Well, then — ” The Emperor paused a 
fraction of a second, while he turned over 
in his mind his entire bag of tricks, seeking 
the best one to employ in this predicament. 
“In that case I shall have to accede — ” 

But old Alius had perceived his hesita- 
tion, had seen the shifty eyes of the frog- 
visaged man before him, and was not fooled. 

“Hold on — do not move,” he warned. “If 
you are sincere send for a messenger, who 
shall write down an order to your com- 
mander, Salvarius Garde, as I dictate it. 
That order you shall sign with your imper- 
ial seal, and we shall sit here locked in this 
chamber together until we have had word 
that the order is being obeyed.” 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



U2S 



The Emperor stirred an^ily, seeing that 
his opportunity for a trick had been snatch* 
ed away. 

“This has gone too far!” he exclaimed. 

“Then you will not accept my terms? I 
am sorry.” 

The ruler of Pleida aiid her satellites was 
half rising from his position on the silken 
cushions. His face was livid. “Turn on the 
current in the chair!” he commanded. “This 
old fool has no explosive in his hand. He 
is only making sport of us!” 

Instantly the guards sprang to do Dolmi- 
cian’s bidding. In the same instant, as if 
he had been waiting for it, old Alius leaped 
out of the deadly chair’s embrace and raised 
his left hand high above his head. 

From the throats of the nobles and the 
soft-bodied ladies of the court there burst a 
scream of terror. They saw the ancient rul- 
er of Neina changed suddenly from a beard- 
ed and quiet patriarch into a wind-blown 
prophet of doom. 

“If you think I am lying,” he cried, “you 
shall learn better now!” and cast the amulet 
down upon the hard floor at Dolmician’s 
feet. 

Fascinated by terror the others saw it spin 
for a moment there. The Emperor’s eyes 
were glued upon it; his flabby body was 
fixed in the crouching position he had as- 
sumed when he gave his order. 

The earth semed to open at his feet. Where 
there had been solid stone there was noth- 
ing, neither up nor down nor at the side. A 
thunderous roar traveled over the city like 
a cloud of heavy smoke, accompanied by 
the ominous cracking of walls and the rum- 
ble of caving masonry. 

CHAPTER XVI 

The Great Migration 

I T was a roar that seemed to echo ’round 
the whole satellite of Neina. It wa» a 
signal that thousands, forewarned, had been 
waiting for. 

Out of their holes rushed the Neinians, 
armed, determined, attacking the city of An- 
cienda. The palace of the house of Alius 
came down in a tremendous cloud of dust 



and flying debris, which flew out over the 
plaza, obscuring the pathetic figures of Nina 
and. Alius Marce, hanging upon their plat- 
form of shame. But they did not long re- 
main in the choking fog that closed down 
over them. Eager, gentle hands untied the 
hateful thongs, cried out words of love and 
encouragement to them both. 

At the foot of the platform the old man 
from Tellus was standing, waiting for his 
daughter, oblivious to the frightful battle 
going on about him. The din came faintly 
through the strangling dust, now faint, now 
clashing loudly, mingled with the cries of 
the enraged Neinians and the gutteral, 
throaty shouts of terror-stricken and dis- 
organized Pleidans. 

Faltering, almost unable to walk, Nina 
descended first. The old man seized her to 
him, kissing her. 

“Nina, Nina — ” He seemed for the mo- 
ment to be so overcome with joy that he was 
unahle to go on. “Nina — we have pre- 
pared a place for you. Go with these 
guides — ! ” 

Alius Marce he greeted as tenderly. “The 
greatest patriot the house of Alius has ever 
produced has given his life and saved his 
people,” he said. “Now you are head of the 
house of Alius!” 

Alius Marce looked at him quizzically. 

“You have word of my father?” 

The dust had begun to settle around them. 
Now they could see the horrible carnage of 
the plaza, where the frenzied Neinians were 
massacring the troops of the late Dolmi- 
cian. It seemed they were everywhere; 
Neina had risen en masse for this revolt. 
In the- mines, at the signal, they had turned 
savagely upon their guards and whippers, 
had conquered them, had come pouring up 
out of the ground to fall upon the bewilder- 
ed and leaderless Pleidans. 

The soldiers from the planet, unable to 
direct themselves, were screaming for their 
officers, particularly for Salvarius Garde, 
the tyranL But he would never again com- 
mand them. He was buried under many 
tons of masonry, and his staff with him. 

“Your father has killed Dolmician, 
blown up half of Ancienda and made this re- 
bellion possible,” murmured the Tellurian. 



1326 



WONDER STORIES 



“My father!” Alius Marce’s voice rang 
with a strange mixture of sorrow and joy. 
“He was no coward after all?” 

“Old Alius was the bravest man of the 
Neinians — ” The Tellurian turned away 
impulsively as he spoke, brushing tears of 
emotion from his eyes. “We have lost a 
great man to gain Neina’s freedom.” 

B ut the significance of his words was 
partly lost on Alius Marce, who had, 
in the course of a few seconds, become a 
new man. Gone was the shame of his cruci- 
fixion in the plaza; gone the despair and 
dejection that had stared from his proud 
eyes. Gone also was the false pride that had 
marred him before the great battle with the 
Pleidans. He seemed to rise in stature, 
firm, sure — a true commander. 

“The new head of the house of Alius will 
try to be worthy of the old!” he exclaimed. 
‘That is a formula that members of our 
house have exclaimed time out of memory 
upon their coronation. But never before 
was it said with more meaning!” 

The Tellurian clasped his hand. “I be- 
lieve you are fit to be king of the new 
world,” he murmured. “And Nina — ” 

“She shall be queen!” cried Alius Marce. 

• « • 

Who shall say what were the feelings of 
the Neinians when they embarked upon that 
last journey away from their native earth, 
abandoning it to the elements? 

There were many who refused to go, pre- 
ferring death upon their cold satellite’s fam- 
iliar lands than life on a world strange to 
them. 

There were others who entered the great 
space-cars trembling with terror at the dan- 
gerous passage ahead of them, the uncer- 
tainties of the new life. Neinians who had 
once been proud came humbly before the 
old Tellurian and Alius Marce, and took 
their places in the terrifying space-cars like 
peasants, abject, unresisting. 

But there were also many, particularly 
the young, who came joyfully, scorning the 
weakness and sentimentality of their elders, 
eager for new sights and new experiences. 
They came with their necessary household 
appliances strapped to their backs, with pet 



animals, seeds, birds — all manner of things 
for the new world, like the peoples of old 
who crossed the trackless Tellurian prairies 
of North America surrounded by trinkets 
and mementos of the lands they were for- 
saking. 

The old Tellurian and Alius Marce had 
seized many of the great transport ships of 
the Pleidans, and had made them over into 
suitable craft for the journey to Tellus. In 
all, more than nine hundred were filled with 
inhabitants of Neina. Additional craft were 
loaded with foodstuffs, seeds, building ma- 
terials, tools, apparatus — all of the things 
the Neinians might need before they had 
learned to extract such substances from the 
wrinkled skin of Tellus. 

There were also animals — the domestic 
bulfars of Neina, which yield both milk and 
labor, the bright-hued birds of the Neinian 
forests, insects such as were deemed neces- 
sary for the fertilization of growing things. 
Some space-ships were like Arks, providing 
room for at least a pair of every common 
living thing to transplant upon Tellus; the 
useful, the ornamental and even creatures 
that had been considered nuisances. Who 
shall saw what is a nuisance and what nec- 
essary? It might well be that what on 
Neina was a detriment would become on 
Tellus the virtue of virtues. 

As fast as the ships were loaded the old 
man gave the sign that sent them on their 
way, each managed by a skillful and exper- 
ienced navigator. On Pleida, he knew, an 
expedition was already being formed by 
Dolmician’s successor to reconquer the satel- 
lite. There was no time to be lost in de- 
barkation. 

The ship containing the Tellurian, Alius 
Marce and Nina was the last to go. In the 
plaza the bareheaded throng of those who 
had pleaded to be allowed to remain with 
their dying world until the end, watching 
silently while the last of the space-ships was 
loaded and prepared. 

“People of Neina,” cried Alius Marce at 
length, “are there any more who wish to go? 
There is a little room.” 

But the throng remained silent. The old 
man gave the signal. Alius Marce entered. 
The heavy doors clanged shut. 



THE RETURN FROM JUPITER 



1327 



Back came the huge lever in the control 
room that startea the huge rockets in Jie 
tail. Nina and Alius Marce stood in their 
cabin near the nose, staring out of the round 
windows through which they were to view 
the disappearance of a world, the procession 
of the firmament, the growing of the sun. 
They were clasped in each other’s arms. 

“I love you, I love you,” whispered Alius 
Marce as the huge rocket ran along the 
launching-way, fire shooting from its hun- 
dreds of combustion tubes. Nina did not 
reply, but rested her head against his breast. 
They felt the great craft tear into the at- 
mosphere; they experienced the tremendous 
sensations of acceleration; the crushing 
speed of the ascent. Their ears throbbed; 
their hearts pounded 

In a moment they could look out again. 
Behind them slowly turned the forsaken 



satellite. Alius Marce looked back at it. 
His eyes were filled with tears. 

But Nina motioned for him to stand be- 
side her at a window near the space-craft’s 
nose. Even without the telescope they could 
now see the cloud of vessels that had preced- 
ed them, speeding off through inky space 
toward Tellus. 

“Neinians shall people the universe,” she 
declared earnestly. “Today I am a pro- 
phetess, and I foretell it. 

“From Tellus they will draw strength to 
spread out among the solar earths, from 
whence, in eons to come, they shall speed 
as bright envoys of the sun and its peoples 
to planetary systems of which we have no 
knowledge. It is their destiny — and ours!” 

Alius Marce held her at arms lengthy 
looking at her. “My people have much in- 
deed to learn,” he exclaimed, “from Tellus!” 



THE END 




What Is Your Kuou^edge Of Science? 

Test Yourself By This Questionnaire 



1. What are two well known 
theories to account for man’s 
evolution? (Page 1267) 

2. What is known about the cosmic 
rays? (Page 1269) 

3. What is the “walking leaf”? 
(Page 1291) 

4. What speed is necessary to cir- 
cle the earth at a height of 500 
miles, as a free satellite? (Page 
1298) 



5. What important atomic experi- 
ment did Rutherford perform? 
(Page 1305) 

6. What is the Einstein belief as to 
the shape of our universe? 

" (Page 1213) 

7. Name some of the larger aster- 
oids? Page 1236) 

8. What is polyandry? (Page 1245)^ 



1328 



WONDER STORIES 



An Adventure In Futurity 

{Continued from Page 1251) 



For me, the hour was full of infinite sor- 
row and a strange excitement, in the reali- 
zation that man was abandoning his im- 
memorial home and would henceforward be 
dn exile among the worlds. But the face of 
Kronous was a marble mask; and I could 
not surmise his thoughts and feelings. 

At last he turned to me and smiled with 
an odd wistfulness. “It is time for me to 
go — and time for you also,” he said. “Good- 
by, Hugh — we shall not meet again. Re- 
member me sometimes, and remember the 



final fate of the human race, when you are 
back in your own epoch.” 

He pressed my hand briefly and then 
climbed aboard the space-liner; and he and 
Altus waved to me through the thick crystal 
of a sealed port as the huge vessel rose in 
air for its flight upon the interplanetary 
void. Sadly, regretting almost that I had 
not insisted upon accompanying them, I 
locked myself in the time-vessel and pulled 
the lever which would begin my own flight 
across the ages. 



THE END. 



FOR THE MA Y ISSUE 

we offer 
Utopia Island 

We are more than pleased to present to our readers beginning with the next issue, 
the complete novel “Utopia Island" by, Otto von Hanstein. Our readers who have read 
the QUARTERLY wiU no doubt remember his two other masterpieces — "Between Earth 
and Moon," and “Eleotropolis” — which caused tremendous stir not only in Europe, 
where the stories were published first, but in the United States as well, when the stories 
appeared in the QUARTERLY, 

This new story by Otto von Hanstein is as daring as his others, and in many re- 
spects, far surpasses them. 

The story contains literally dozens of new sclentiflo prophecies which we have never 
seen in print before and which are sure to be realized in the future. Von Hanstein has 
even gone into the fleid of sports and has evolved a number of sports unknown at the 
present time, all based upon new scientific discoveries. 

You will marvel at the versatility and the prophetic insight of the author in this 
never-to-be-forgotten story. 



Ed Earl Repp 

adds to his successes by this new interplanetary tale 

“The Beasts of Ban-du-lu” 

in which the life forms on a strange world are vividly portrayed in a story filled with 
action and terrifying suspense. We cannot expect human beings on Venus or Mars. 
But we can expect life, and intelligent life. What will it be like, and how will it react 
to we human beings? Mr. Repp tells us. 



From a new author comes 

‘Two Worlds To Barter” 

a tremendous story of an ultimatum. "Get out of your world within 48 hours came the 
word ... Or else . . . destruction . . But they fought back . . . futilely 
. , . energetically . . , stupidly ... in this masterly story by 

G. D. Harris 

of Bonnie old England. 



R. F. Starzl 

is always welcome to our pages. 

After having delighted our readers with stories of strange planets and stirring 
battles be returns with a little “knockout," figurative and real of how a super-man 
upset a super-gangster's plans in 

“The Mshi Who Changed the Future” 

A science fiction story par excellence. 

AND OTHERS 

IN THE MAY 1931 WONDER STORIES 
ON ALL NEWSSTANDS APRIL 1 




Science Questions 
and Answers 



T his department is conducted for the benefit of readers who have pertinent queries on modern acientifie 
facts. Afl space is limited we cannot undertake to answer more than tiiree questions for each letter. 
The flood of correspondence received makes its impractical, also, to print answers as soon as we receive 
questions. However, questions of general Interest will receive careful attention. 





ASSOCIATE SCIENCE EDITORS 



ASTRONOMY 

Professor Samuel G. Barton 

Flower Observatory University of 
Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Clyde Fisher. Ph.D., LL.D. 

Curator, The American Museum of 
Natural History. 

Professor WiUem J. Layten, Ph.D. 

Harvard College Observatory. 

ASTROPHYSICS 

Donald H. Mensel, Ph.D. 

Lick University, University of 
California. 

AVIATION 

Major William A. Sevan, 

B.S.. M.S.. M.E. 

Air Corps Reserve. Professor Aer- 
onautical Engineering, Iowa 
State College. 

Professor Earl D. Hay, 

B.S., M.S., M.E. 

Head Department Mechanical and 
Industrial l^gineering and Pro- 
fessor of Aeronautics. Univer- 
sity of Kansas. 

Professor George J. Higgins, 

B.S. Aero. Eng. 

Associate Professor Aeronautical 
ihigineering. University of De- 
troit. 



Professor Felix W. Pawlowski, 

M. & E.E., M.S. 

Department of Aeronautical En- 
^neerlng. University of Michi- 
gan. 

Professor John E. Younger, 

B.S., M.S, Ph.D. 
Dept. Mechanical Enpneering, 
University of California. 

BOTANY 

Professor Elmer G. Campbell 
Transylvania Collie. 

Professor Margaret Clay Ferguson, 
Ph.D. Wellesl^ College. 

Professor C. E. Owens 
Oregon Agricultural OHlege 
CHEMISTRY 
Professor Gerald Wendt 
Dean, Schodi of Chemistry and 
Physics, Pennsylvania State 
College. 

ELECTRICITY 
Professor F. E. Austin 

Formerly of Dartmouth College. 

ENTOMOLOGY 
William M. Wheeler 

Dean, Bussey Institution for Re- 
search in Applied Biology, Har- 
vard University. 



MATHEMATICS 
Professor C. Irwin Palmer 
Dean of Students. 

Armour Institute of Technology. 
Professor James Byrnie Shaw 
University of Illinois. 

Professor Waldo A. Titsworth, S.M, 
Alfred University* 

MEDICINE 
Dr. David H. Keller 
Western State Hospital. 

PHYSICS AND RADIO 
Dr. Lee deForest, Ph.D., D.Sc. 

PHYSICS 
Professor A. L. Fitch 
University of Maine. 

PHYCHOLOGY 
Dr. Marjorie E. Babcock 
Acting Director. Psychological 
Clinic, University of Hawaii. 

ZOOLOGY 
Dr. Joseph' G. Toshioka 
Yale University. 



These nationally-known educators pass upon the scientific principles of all 

stories. 



' Motion in Space 

SdiU>r Science Questions and Answers: 

It an object were dropped from outer space and 
did not strike a planet, star or some other heavenly 
would U ever reach a destination, or is space 
limitlessf 

Daniel Schwartz, 

842 Saratoga Street, 

Newport, Ky, 

(We believe our correspondent is under a mismp- 

f rehension with regard to the nature of outer space. 
D outer space there is no **up*' or **down** such ui 
we know it. We think of “up** as the direction away 
from the earth and “down** as the direction toward 
the earth. Now if one were far away from any 
heavenly body, there would be no sense whatever of 
“up** or “down**. 

Furthermore there could be no such thing as “drop- 
ping** a bo^. That term again is purely ten^triaL 
We drop a body when we hold it above the earth and 
Oien release U so that the earth’s attraction can pull 
it toward her. 

Now if wo were in empty space far from any 
heavenly body, and were to release our object, then 
for all practical purposes, It would remain right 
where it was plac^ In reality it would move, ex- 
tremely slowly, attracted by some other body, sudi 
as a star or planet and it would move toward that 
star or idanet and hit it. Therefore by the definition 
of terms sn^ a thing as our correspondent pictures 
could not occur. To understand such phenomena as 
ueeur in enter space one must leave behind all of 
his pntely terrestrial notions, and get back to funda- 
mental realities. 

If tiwre were only two heavenly bodies in the uni- 



verse, the earth and one other, no matter how far 
away they were, they would eventual^ be drawn to 
each other by the power of universal gravitation and 
finally either hit each other or form some sort of a 
dual heavenly system, rotating about each other. 
There can be no state of rest in a universe filled 
with matter.^Editor) 



New York to San Francisco 

Editor, Science Questione and Answers: 

I have an argument on my hands which I would 
like you and the readers of WONDER STORIES to 
back me up on, if 1 am correct. Otherwise, pull me 
all to pieces I I 

Let us consider San Francisco as being 3000 miles 
west of New York for convenient reckoning. Now lei 
us assume that a plane leaves New York at 12 noon 
on Jan. 1st, headed for San Francisco at a speed d 
500 miles j>er hour, as registered on its dials. It is 
claimed that the plane travels West in space, and 
that flying from San Francisco to New T<»'k under 
the same conditions, travels East in space (8000 
miles). 

I contend that the following applies — The earth 
rev<dving on its axis presents (rou^y) 3000 miles of 
its surface to the sun in 6 hours and that the plane 
in flying from New York to San Francisoo (West) 
actually merely suspends itself above the eartn and 
the earth presents a point 3000 miles West on its sur- 
fs^ for the plane to land on, and that the plane in- 
stead of flying West is actually moved Bast in space 
to the extent of (roughly) 400, (K)0 miles, (34 of 
1/355 of the earth's oinit around the sun whQi i$ 
taken as being 578,000,000 miles). 

on Pape 1330) 



1329 



1330 



WONDER STORIES 




1%9 «#«ntton. o£ tiM Hy pn » M » 
•cape iwf cn ta d h9 Hv* Gar ni h erlr , 
E*ch reel on tile BU«hliie ' con- 
taiM •» odneatioaftL loctnre or a 
•iibiect of entertainmoBi. *nto wire 
on the reel beinp need paeioi be- 
tween electromamets (acen in the 
lowee part of the aot>> w^ero the 
maanetio IhietkiaMona of Hu wire 
are indneed into the macneCte cir- 
enit. Tbe ennrent prodoeed ie am- 
id ifitd and champed into acond tI- 
brattona which pats to the simper 
thronph headphones* 



1» traoettnf fm Son Fxnnciaeo t» Now York I 
maintain that gmtito of Iho aboro is not appli- 
eaUo. Tto plane mw anppoaedly at 500 miliSB pop 
hovr Bash ^ earth rotates at the aame speed, there- 
foie H w«^d seem that the plane would land on tbe 
p<dno it started Howeyer, the plane would haye 

to- trayel- twice the speed, and which I claim it doea^ 
to arriro in New York in 0 hours, allhongh its tocher 
mster, etc. would read 500 mdee per Isour. 

la- ^ mane’s trip to New York (Fast) its reo<H‘d 
would be tne same, except that it actually moved West 
e— sero, bat backwards, East, 400,000 miles. 

B. A. Dormer, 
hS 6«Dtrm Ave., 



Lnnninc WIuIb Slwnpia^ 

Bdlior, S eUne e Qtto^tiona omd Answors : 

On lookins ^to “Who’s Who“i I found 
bk^apby » Hsd|0 Oorneback, editor of W OJfTDaR 
8TMJBS, that ha haa invented a maehine to teach 
people while they are sleeping. Will- you pi***® 
plain how t^ is donef 

Charles M. Waff, J*h 
C ollege Station, 

Maryville, Tenn. 

(Huir 3»*t« ««» »**> r„ 

wed that for 1/1 of ear Uvea we 



(In tho above dissuasion, one vitaT' point must he 
kept in miinL An airplane travels tiiroaidi the air, 
it Boveai hw the traction of Hs propeller titrough the 
air, jpot aa a heat mwves 1^ the traction of its sorews 
t ha ongh tbe water. Now tho air abofve tile eartit is 
last a» mch a part of tlw earth aa the water is. The 
earth rotates about its axis once in t we nty -fear hours 
carrying both air and- water with it, and for the pur- 
poae of thifr disenasion the air above the mrth may be 
considered as rigidly fixed to the earth. 

Now when the airplaae it en tbe ground it is being 
caniad through spaea with the earth, 1^ tha eartii’a 
rotation, for aa we hare a^d the air is rigidly fined 
to the eartii. Therefore, for the purpmee of tUs dis- 
easaMW the raotien of tiie emth en its axis may be dis- 
reg a ad ed . So in order fer the plane to go (ton one 
point on the eorth’s surface to another it oust cot He 
way through tha air,, just aa a haat moat. 

Howerer, if a vehicle of some kind were to rise 
m>ooe the earth's atmosphere, than it might be freed 
of the- rotation of tiie earth. If it rose above New 
Yoric and remained suspended in space, the earth 
would move under it and in a few hours it could 
dbscend, theoretically to San Francisco. II it were 
at Shn Ftmneiaca, and wished to move to New York 
ft misrt acquire a speed greater than the earth’s 
rehatioiia! (qieed at tiiat point In other words in 
order to remain above the same imint above San 
Fr anc iaco it roust move eastward in space at tie rate 
0 # aame 7t0 miles per hour. To catch up to New 
York it roust move faster tilan 700 miles per hear. 

McuuwMIe tiio eusth l» moving in its orbit 
around the sun at the rate ef some 1,100^0## miles a 
day. Inasmueti aa the plans when It rises from the 
earth has already the earth’s orbital vdocity, it w^. 
keep that velocity which may he disr^arded.— -Editor.)* 



are almost entisely uneonseloaBi practically speaking, 
dead ; therefore tiie man of 70 has lived, bat 4& yerors. 

The device utilizes the telegraphone principle. The 
speech is pass ed through an amplifier and through 
a microphone and tiireo|^ electromagnets by which 
process it lo transfonueu hito a series of magnetic 
fluctuations. A steel wire passed between the mag- 
nets is polarised wMi thcae fluctuations. 

To transmit the speech from tiie wire, the wire is 
unreeled between electromagnets and induces in the 
magnetic cireuit a flactaating current which is pn-mi 
through amplifiers, and through a microphant into 
speech* To transmit the speech to the sleeper, baad- 
phroies may be used, aa shown in the Ulustratien. Tbe 
telegraphone is an establi^ed instrument^ used ex- 
tensively by tiie telephone compnciiea for rtsntding 
telephone conversations. Its utilization ia new. 

Thus a mroi sets the dials on his machine to begin 
playiiig e reel for, sey, a lecture in hictery at msd- 
night. Bach lecture Is to last one hour,, and at the 
end of an hour the reel is antomatiealty chang^. 
Thus during a night, from midnight te- six a. m., six 
hours of instractimi may be received. 

This device, citilcd by Wr. Gemsbarir, the “Hypno- 
biascope” was tried out snceeasfuHy by J. A. Phin- 
nejs oltiel radioman> U; S. Navy and utilized at the 
Pensacola, Florida Naval Training Sthool. Here one 
may see naval students stretched ont on long benches 
asleep with casket-ltte coverings over their heads. 
The cstirets contain two telephone reavers through 
whi tii racHe code ie sent to the sleeper. It has been 
demonstrated ttiat tbe tiesping student can te taught 
code fha ts r titan by any other means* far the suh- 
conscious mind never sleeps. Students who Itsve 
tidM iir their studies hare pmsosd examinations after 
being taught ^ this method.— Editor) 

{Continued on P<nge 1342) 



WONDER STORIES 



1331 







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Name 

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I N tbie department we shall pabllsh eTer; mo nth 
jour opiaioaSi After all, thia is tout ma^asine 
and it is edited for you. If we fall down on the 
choiee of ear storiea, or if the editorial board slips 
np eecaeionally, it is np to you to roice your opin- 
MB. It makes no difference whether your letter is 
eSBifUmentary, crHieal, or whether it contains a food 



old-fashioned brick bat. All are equally weleozne. 
AU of yonr lettert, aa much as spaoe will aOow, will 
be pnbuahed here for the benefit of aflU Due to tho 
large influx of ma^ no eommtmicatioBS to this 
partmeni are answwed indieiduaUy unless 2 b 0 iQ 
stamps to sesot time and postage is remitted. 



InterpUnetarj Progress 

editor, WON DBS SI0MIB3: 

I b^re your readers would be interested to know 
of the showing ol the German U. F. A. moon ilm, 
*‘The Girl in the Moon” under the auspices of the 
American Interplanetary Society at the Museum of 
Natural History in New York on January 27. 

By the courtesy of Hugo Qernsback, editor of 
WCnVEB STOHJiS, we invited to the showing fWe 
hundred subscribers of WONDEB STOBXES who 
lived in the metropolitan nei^borhood. The showing 
of the film and » lecture by Bobert Esnault'Peltorie 
(he was unfortunately Ql and hia lecture was read 
from the roetrum) featured the evening, and an at- 
tendance of about 2500 persons indicated tbe grow- 
ing and intense interest in interplanefary travel. 

The flm (the scientific portions only being used 
at the meeting of tbe 27th) is a ma^ificent thing 
and shows wito thrilling accuracy what a moon flight 
will be like. The making of tbe film was supervised 
by Hermann Oberth the noted German rocket exptfi- 
mester, and net only scientifio accuracy but film 
artistry went into tbe making of it. Now the film is 
to have a run in the movie housea of the country 
titfed^*3y ^cket to the Moon.” 

Edfforiala in the New York HeraXd^Tribun* and the 
New York Timet feltowing the showing indicating a 
new and respectful attitude by newspapers towsrd 
tbe interplanetary problem. Allow me to %uote from 
the Tribune editorial of January 31. *‘The American 
Interplanetary Society is an attractive organization 
with a romantic name. Merely flying throng the air 
is already getting to be a somewhat dull business and 
who can fail to appland this first mobilisation of in- 
terest in far more breath-taking projects of astro- 
nautics — the navigation of the solar system ...” 
The American Interplanetary Society Mlieves that 
it is truly mobilizing public opinion and focussing 
its interest on interplanetary travel and so helping 
to bring doser the day of an interplanetary journey, 
will be undertaken. 

Memberships both setive and associate^ the former 
at 910 and the latter at $3 a year, are offered to men 
and ‘women, boys and girls who want to help us to 
make the nation **interplanetari1y conseious” and stimu- 
late scientific development in tbe art. The active 
membership is oonfin^ to those over 21 years of ago 
with adequate scientific trainingwho wish to take an 
active part in our program. Tlie associate member- 
ship admits aH others who vrish to receive our month, 
ly bulletin giving the latest news of the world in 
rocket and interplanetary development and have tbe 
pride of assisting us to carry our work to a success- 
1 ^ eompletion. Among our membera are Dr. Robert 
H. Goddard, Bobert ^ananlt-Pelterie, Captain. Sir 
Kubert Ilyins, Dr. Clyde Fishery of tiie Museum of 
Natural History, HugtK Gornsback, etc. 

Candldhus for active membership are invited to 
weita to- the secretary fox an application form. Those 
who wish to bo associate members may write to the 
secretary or enclose a check or money order for three 
dollars when a membership card and copies of the 
Nnilotin will be forwarded. 

0. P. Mason, S ecreta ry, 

AMEBICAN INTERPLANETARY SOCIETY, 
302 West 22nd Street, New York. 
(Tbe work that the American Interplanetary So- 
ciety is doing is truly making the nation aware tiiat 
a moon flight had departea . from the eategary at 
dreams and is on the way to becoming an actuality. 
The tenseness of the audience at the Mtueunt «f N^ 
tural History (admission was free,, by the way), 
iadieated ^w the picture gripped those thousands 
who were there. The Society and its requests for 
members has our heartiest support. — Editor) 



Propketic Dreams mrm a Form of Trawel 

editor, WOMDBB STORIES i 

Aboof that time travd theme commented «n in the 
February issue: Mr. Jim H. Nicholson presents four 
abjections which are irrefutable from tbe angle he 
looks St it, but the point is it is like tbe farmer who, 
upon hia first sight of a giraffe, insisted that **thero 
wasn't na such animal.” Time travel is just plain 
silly, but unfortunately it is with us whether wa 
deny H or not. 

‘S^Hiat do I mean? Simply that prsphetlo dreams 
are a form of time travel. Out of every hundred of 
cultured, sensitive people, you will almost infallibly 
find four or live who have dreamed of things which 
afterwards took place. And out of these, two or 
three can prove it. I am prepared to present the 
evidence— only not for publication. Even though only 
one in all the world had a single such dream, it would 
establish the potential realHy of time travel and dis- 
prove an the nightmares of materialism. But when 
the recorded cases run into hundreds, as you can 
ascertain from psydiic research records— and other 
cases unpublished are about us every day cer t amly 
we have a pbenomenon of nature which cannot be 
‘waved aside. 

Now coming down to cas^ Mr. Nicholson preiento 
the instance of a man traveling into the future, seeiujg 
himself killed in an unpleasant way, returning to his 
correct time, and committing suicide, thus altering 
the futhre. Well, has it ever occunw to him that 
events are aU stationary and that the human con- 
sciousnen is capable ox altering its timo direction 
through the field of events! Now, X had almost said 
a jpeat deal more, but j.iut stopped in time uiK>n the 
reflection that I had been cogitating a story along 
the line of time travel at it exitts in nature. The 
fact ia that time travel and time travelers exist at 
this hour, even though preventing themselves frem 
being born by going back and killing a grandfather-^ 
another of Mr. Nicholson’s illustrations— is a little 
outside of their regnlsr line of activities. That is 
on^ a part that might be said. The rest can wait 
nntil I can get around to doing some more writing— s 
if someone wesn't beat me to it. 

I cannot whifily agree with tito Editor's remarli 
tiiat pa6^time travefiug stories are not permisstbto 
‘‘because of the past being fixed”. There is a ten- 
dency among sexentifie men at the present time to 
accept reversible time, expressed in the phrase: 
present is pulled into existence by the future as 
much as it u poshed into existence by tbe past.” If 
that is the ease, then the past is also altsrablo— but 
let^s not go into -that now« 

Victor A. Enderrtsy, 
afi42 Canon- Drive, 

Msntrose, Calif. 

(Mr. Endmrsby's stat^ent that hundreds of cases. 
of prophetie dreams are known, might coma to some 
of ear readers with s shock of ^belief. Yet no 
less a persen than Camille Flammarion, the late noted 
French astronomer, spent a number of years of bio 
life in i^^ering ease data m such event. He pre- 
senta case after case in which people bare seen is 
dream or vision not only events to come but placen 
they werw td visit but bad not yet seen. 

Fraud! IHusionet Who kno‘ws! We can only 
take the evidence end the r^iability of M. Flammar- 
ion for what it is worth. Psrhi^ at tiiose momento 
the subjects did get a mental vision of the time 
curve; to at it was l^ut at that instant so that tha 
future met the present for a moment. 

The whole subject is sne of the most intriguing 
presented by all science.— Ediler)- 



1332 



WONDER STORIES 



im 




Helped to Light the Fire 

Emor, WONDER STORIES i 

1 feel that I must write and eongratulate Hr. 
Beattie on his wonderful story, *‘71ie Murders oa the 
Hoonship.” It was great but the picture spoiled it as 
I knew ^w it would end. It would have been znpro 
interesting had the picture not shown the real mur- 
derer. “The Outpost on the Moon” was ffood but it 
requires a sequel to finish it off. “The World With- 
out” was good but rather far-fetched. 

I am glad to see that a sequel to “A Bescue From 
Jupiter” is coming next month, also more about 
the Interplanetary Tolice, I find their eii^loits very 
interesting. Forevven’s sake, don’t print another 
•itory like “A Subterranean Adventure”, it was the 
most morbid and disgusting story I have ever read 
and nearly cost me my magazine as the mater hap- 
pened to pidk it up and read about the frightful tor- 
tures that could easily have been left out. The next 
d'y, several WONDER STORIES helped to light the 
lire, but as you haven’t printed any more like it, I 
have been allowed to keep it. Please don’t. 

I am sorry that you dropped the “Science” in your 
title, you are catering to the common class of p^ple 
who aren’t educated enough to be interested in science 
but just read the stories to get a thrill that they can 
get ui any magazine. Please bring back the “Science 
News” department, it was the best feature in the 
magazine. X am pleased that you got control of 
yourself and reduced the size of the magazine. It is 
much handier. _ , 

Try and get stories that are uncommon. I have 
read so many time traveling and transformation stor- 
ies that I am sick of them. I tried to write one my- 
self about a scientist who oojuld ^change celjular 
growth and make animals -grow boils or mastoids 
that sent out destructive rays; one escaped and got 
the better of him, but the story was the bunk. I can 



,( ?) only write air stories. 

Beturning to the old controversy: is time traveling 
possible ? Personally, I don’t think it is, there are 



too many complications as Mr. Nicholson points out 
Anyway, if it were possible, you would not be able 
to take any part in the doings; you would be invisible 
•and only able to watch, being helpless to do anything. 

Is it true that Einstein has a theory atating that 
2 plus 2 equals 3.9999 instead of 4? Could it be 
explained in words capid>le of being understood by a 
high school student? Also, is it true that a frog has 
been discovered in suspended animation, or is it gomo 
more of Mr. Beattie’s fiction ? 

James Bigby, 

Bryden, Out. 

(We know that Mr. Einstein has upset a great many 
things, but we doubt if he can be accused of upset- 
ting the multiplication table. That, at least, still 
stands. 

Cases of what might be called suspended anima- 
tion are met with frequently in the fish family. Piirii 
have been frozen solid and then thawed out only 
to cause them to revive and be just as lively as ever. 
Suspended animation is not at all contrary to na- 
ture, and given the proper carcumstances a being 
might be able to remain in such a state for a con- 
siderable period. — Editor) 

Th« Plot of Murdering MUHons 

Editor, WONDER STORIES i 

' “The Sleepine War”, by D, H. Eeller, represents 
one of the most unreasonable, and pernicious pieces 
of anti-Soviet propaganda released to date by your 
publication. Just why your magazine, which claims 
to devote its pages to science, could stoop to such a 
level of cheap literature in distorting scientific facts 
is ^yond comprehension. 

Disregarding personal opinions of the tenr^orary 
benefits of the Soviet program, one must admit the 
Ideals and aim* of such a system of government are 
above that of the nefarious plot of murdering mil- 
lions of innocent people, as depicted in the story 
mentioned above. To oonclusively prove the Rus- 
sians capable of such insane acts, one would natur- 
ally have to believe all the silly propaganda published 
-by* all the opposing factious of the world, and last but 
not least, prove precedent parallel acts to substan- 
tiate the case — which by the way, is out of the ques- 
tion. 

(Continued on Page 1334) 




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1334 



.WONDER STORIES 



-bring the latest 
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TELEVISION 
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Edited by Hugo Gerntfaack 
Editor of Wonder Storie* 

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THE READER SPEAK§ 

{Continued from Page 1333) 



The revolution that placed them in power was 
brought about by preliminary education of the ma»8' 
es, and was therefore practically bloodless. From 
that time until the present date they have demon* 
fitrated their peace desiring attitude by proposing 
that each, and every nation completely destroy their 
war machinery, only to be met with refusal/ and by 
invading military forces of other nations. .iVfter such 
treatment no honest and justice-loving person, can 
hnd cause to object to their vast military prepara- 
tions for defense. 

The Russian Soviet government stands as the 
world's greatest social experiment, in which truth 
and justice are struggling to overcome the combined 
militant forces of the exploitive capitalist nations of 
the world. That their efforts are succeeding, are too 
self evident for the peace of mind of the powers 
that be. 

Let us leave the slaughter of countless millions of 
innocent people to some of the more proficient capi- 
talist nations of the world, and not endeavor to crim- 
inally convict a new social order, until there is at 
least enough circumstantial evidence, or motive upon 
which to convict. 

The American people have been led to hate, by the 
powers in control, various races of people, such as 
the British, Spanish, Gkrman, Austrians, Hungar- 
ians, Chinese, Japanese, Kexicans, etc., incL'uuing 
milder hatreds of the Jews, Italians, Negroes, etc., 
and now it is our duty (f) to hate the Russians. 
When one understands the economic reasons back of 
such silly rot, one cannot help but be thoroughly dis- 
gusted with this new hate. Are we to hate the Es- 
kimos after we finish vesting our hate on the Rus- 
sians? There seem to be but few races left on this 
old earth to hate. 

Harry R. Barnhart, 

607 Hubbard Ave., 

Elkhart, Ind. 

(We have been accused, as probably every maga- 
zine has, of every imaginable crime. Perhaps our 
protests of innocence may become boring after awhile. 
Naturally we deny any imputation of enmity against 
the Soviets. We feel, as our correspondent does, 
that “The Russian Soviet government stands as the 
world’s ^eatest social experiments" and we wish 
it luck. For if their ideals succeed it means that the 
innermost dreams of man, that he can live in har- 
mony with bis fellowman and share equitably and 
happily the wealth of their joint lalxirs, is possible. 

We do not attempt to dictate what our writers 
shall say. If what they have to say is within rea- 
son, if it is interesting, if it is in accordance with 
the editorial policy, writers are tree.-^EdUor.) 



Hia Severest Critic 

Editor. WONDER STORIES: 

It was with the hope of stirring up some lively 
discussion that I submitted my letter on Hum- 

orous aspects of time-traveling" which appeiured in 
the February issue of ‘itty bitty WONDER STORIES 
and the editor so kindly published. 

In the hope of continuing this discussion I am 
now going to do the most unusual thing ever at- 
tempted by any of your “Reader Speakineer." 
Namely contradict myself by criticizing my letter I 
If the editor will be so kind as to try and ooze this 
letter into the “Reader Speaks" the reader will find 
I am as willing to admit my faults as the editor— 
if he had any 1 

Just watch my smoke as I pull my "Humorous 
Aspects On Time-Traveling" apart and lay it out in 
its pure absurdity! 

I will criticize my four statements in the order 
in which they come. Sere goes I Just watch tng 
smoke t 

(1) If a fellow had a time-machine why would 
he want to send it back to himself ? He’d never be 
able to get it again and therefore would be stranded 
in his wrong time. And why would he want to give 
it to himself if he already had itf 

Zzzzipl Goes No. II 

(2) & (3) If a person went into the future and 
then came into the past any thoughts or intentions 
he had at the time that would form a paradox and 
be forgotten. You see what 1 mean ? His mind 




WONDER STORIES 



1335 



THE READER SPEAKS 






Ml 


01 


J)l 


N( 


S A 















•would be ctntored! Thus no man would ever re- 
member faow be was killed if he had the intention of 
yiuin g himself to avoid his death; nor would he re- 
member how an invention worked upon returning 
from the future. You may ask why he wouldn’t 
bring one of the things, which he wished to rebuild, 
back with himself. The answer is simple: he wouldn't 
know he had forgotten and if he went back to the 
future he would not remember that he had forgotten 
it and therefore would not see any use in taking any 
rirfc in traveling through time with another object 
which might do serious or fatal damage to his little 
meanderings. 

Weeeyuuuul There goes No. 2 & 8, 

(4) If a man went back in time and married his 
mother it would be higamyl And what would Pa 
say if he found out? — I lit I 

I closed my silly letter by saying: '“I guess I’ve 
put enough cotton into the inkw^ of H. F, Kirkham, 
F. Flagg, M. J. Breuer and H. <>. Well^*' Whoooops 
my deah? Doesn’t our young Mr« Nicholson know 
that all authors use typewriters? 

Now that I’ve squared myself if anyone wants to 
carry the discussion any further my address is be- 
low. And if the Editor wants me too I wiU be glad 
to send in urnro paradoxes and then unravel them. 

I firmly believe time-traveling is possible but wheth- 
er anyone will ever accompli^ the feat, remains to 
be seen. 

Before closing I want to tell the Editor if he 
doesn’t get some more of Paul’s illustrations he will 
receive a Itox of eight hand-grenades in the next mail I 

’Til either WOiiDEB STORIES or I no longer ex- 
ist, 1 am, a faithful reader, 

Jim H. Nich<dson, 

(Asst. Sec. Boys’ Scientifictioa Club) 
40 liunado Way, 

8aa Frandseo. Calif. 

(We cannot, of conwe, be responsible for the effect 
bn our readers of Mr. Nicholson's abstruse mental 
gymnastics. Tlxe Editors found themselves wander- 
mg dazedly in a terrible mental fog, and therefore 
warn our readers accordingly. 

Naturally it is interesting to find a young man so 
open minded that he can be his own critic. It is a 
refreshing sign in fact. But which of the young Mr. 
Nicholsons is correct. The first one or the second 
one. We invite your opinion.—Fdifor) 

Contracted to Nothing 

Editor, WOmEB STORIES; 

This letter may be a little late in reaching you but 
I would like you to publish it if possible bediuBe I 
that other readers have questions about this sub- 
ject too- 

I read the story in your magazine called *‘The Satel- 
lite of Doom”, and allow me to say right here that I 
think that it was very poorly put togdher and was in 
eeneral “rather bum*’. But that is the only brick- 
bat that I want to throw. 

In the story, the author said that space was prac-’ 
tically an absolute vacuum. He also said that space 
contained no heat whatever and therefore was at ab-, 
solute zero. He may not have used just exactly those 
words but that waa the thing implied. He said that] 
as soon as Bri^s got into the vacuum, his chest blew; 
open and he was immediately frozen solid. Now Us-: 
ten here. The fellow’s chest might have blown open 
but if the temperature was “absolute xero’’, his froz- 
en body would have been contracted by the absence 
of heat tintil there was practical^ nothing left. Be- 
cause you know tiiat when a thing is cooled off, it 
contracts. And if there was no heat at all, the action 
of the molecules is “aero”, and therefore the substance 
contracts until there is nothing left. 

Now just imagine what would happen to a space 
ship which went up into the ether. No matter how 
well the ship was insulated the absolute cold would 
contract the outer shell until it crushed the inner 
shell. Now what do you think about this? I am not 
going very «uch in detail about this but you ought 
to see what I mean. 

Now taking this problem from another angle, if a 
body is hot and you want to cool it, you must conduct 
the heat from it by using some other material. In 
^her words the material to be cooled must be sur- 
Wunded by or be in contact with some other material 
(Continved on Page 1336) 



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THE READER SPEAKS 

{Continued from Page 1335) 



thing. If the ao-called ether is an absolute vacuum, 
no heat would be conducted from the space ship be- 
cause there would bo no material thing to condu^ the 
heat away from the space ship. Evidently' the author 
of the story above referred to must not have reckoned 
with this condition in bis story. 

Now 1 understand that a space ship would have to 
be built fo withstand a heavy pressure from within bub 
what I would like to know is — whether the heat would 
be conducted away from a space ship after it has lefk 
the atmosphere or not. If not the author of the 
story “The Satellite of Doom”, has made a big error, 
and if so the space ship would be contracted into 
nothing. How about it — eh — 

Bill Simpson, 

213 North Wash., 

Elk City, Okla. 

(Our correspondent is slightly in error when he 
assumes that a temperature of absolute zero means a 
contraction of the body to zero dimensions. Gases 
have been solidified at near the temperature of abso- 
lute zero and they still retain the greater part of their 
bulk. 

A body would contract appreciably if the electrons 
in its atoms were to cease their motion and fall into 
the proton. Then a body would have only about 
1 /lOOO of its original volume. But in a condition 
of absolute zero a body would not by any means con- 
tract so appreciably. 

With regard to the second point, our correspon- 
dent forgets that heat is transmitted in three ways. 
^ radiation and convection besides by conduction, 
luus the sun transmits its heat across 92.000,000 
miles of vacuum by radiation. So a space ship would 
radiate its heat into emptiness, but the heat would 
remain in the radiated waves until they struck soma 
material body to which it could be transferred. Ra- 
diation is a phenomona entirely different from con- 
duction, which as Mr. Simpson rightly says, needs 
a material body. — Editor. 

Would Be Superior 

Editor, WONDER STOBJES: 

Mr, Endersby’s masterful editorial on *'Sez and 
Life” is too wonderful for words, and 1 read it oven 
several times with the keenest interest and delight. 
If this world would have more such men, life would 
be really worth while. There would be less people, 
of course, but they would be mentally and physically 
superior to a certain class that is continually howling 
religion, and the “laws of God”. 

Ten to one Mr. Endersby will be condemned to the 
infernal regions for his open honesty. He may be 
even called abnormal, but mind you, this gentleman 
does not uphold complete sexual restraint, out mod- 
eration, and moderation in all things. Of course, the 
clergy will claim that the mating instinct is always 
present in man, and that God ordained it so. As 
long as the church harbors this silly belief, religion 
will continue to crumble. 

The majority of the people of today are more in- 
telligent. more broad-minded than their forbears. They 
see further. They realize that the health of the race 
depends on sane living, and moderation. It is this set 
of intelligentsia that will eventually create the longed- 
for UTOPIA. I admit a certain class is fighting it, 
fighting with teeth, nails, and cut bullets, rotten poli- 
tics, but WAIT — ^the intelligentsia is spreading, be- 
coming stronger through its living ideal of strength 
through moderation and truth. Three cheers for 
Brother Endersby 1 Come, folks, with a willl 

Now concerning Time Traveler’s “Vision of the 
Future”. The whole thing sounds very much like ft 
slight case of Dementia Praeooz to me, or did he in- 
dulge in too many chasers ? Now, I have no objection 
to one taking a jolly nip occasionally, in fact, I see 
no harm in it. but one CfAN go too far, and land into 
the Fourth Dimension. Personally. I haven't been 
there, yet, and naturally 1 get rather out of sorts 
with one who has foolishly taken the trip. Somehow, 
he never quite recovers from the shock. You know, 
fc^ks, I’ve often wondered if our Senators and gov- 
ernment officials have taken the trip, and^ believe me, 
I’m not the only one who has “suspicions”. Another 
angle. Time TS’aveler mentioned a “deep sleep”, 
Hmm, sounds hopheadishly queer. I’ll bet he’s raving 
by this time, but one has to be careful what one writes 
to a magazine that caters to the intelligentsia Well, 




^VONDER STORIES 



1337 




I hope you folks wiU bo sweet enough to send me 
flowers and crepe, in case anything happens. 1 ex* 
pect to be shot some day. 

Like all the issues of WONDER STORIES, the 
March edition came up to expectations. Not a dull 
etory in the lot. Although, I liked friend Starzl’j 
•‘The Terrors of Aryl” best. Gorgeously thrilling, and 
yet full of human pathos. StarzT is a genius. Give 
ns more of his masterpieces. And bow about some 
verses occasionally? You could use them as fillers, 
and at the same time afford we “poem bugs an extra 
treat. Even the hardboiled writer enjoys a poem now 
end then. It gives that sense of variety, beneficiw 
exclusiveness to a magazine, which, I think, would 
mean profit to you as well as pleasure to us. 



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And before I close, let us give Mr, Qillings of Ijon- 
don, Eng. congratulations and best wishes for his 
remarkable "Circle of Science”. It’s a great idea, and 
I’m all for it. Anything to bring America in cloeer 
harmony and good will to the rest of the world will 
be more benefimal than all the churches put together. 
Pearl Hamilton Elliott, 

Hempstead, L. I., N. T. 

(There is no doubt as to where Mrs. Elliott stands 
on the question raised by Mr. Endersby. The question 
is one of such universal interest and SO widely dis- 
cussed toda^ both in the pulpit, the press and in 
scientifio Ixwks that we feel it deserved considera- 
tion. We invite therefore other opinions for and 
against the Endersby-EUiot view. 

We are inclined to think that Mrs, Elliot, however, 
is somewhat harsh on Time Traveler. His vision 
was no more rash than those in the stories we pub- 
lish. — Editor) 

(Continued on Page 1338) 




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THE READER SPEAKS 

{Oontinued, from Page 1337) 

New Social Outlooks 

Editor, WOyVEB STORIES x 

In. your list of noted Associated Editors you have 
neglected to include one or more badly needed political 
economists. The reason for such ^neglect may be due 
to the impression political eoonomy is, as a science, 
unrelated to the other fields of scientific endeavor; 
or in case an author should make an error in a story 
the average reader would not notice it. Such au error 
on your part is not justified by facts. 

The average reader, I believe, Ukea to feel enough 
confidence in the editorial staff of WONDER STOR- 
IES to have the satisfaction of reading stories that 
are basically scientific even though of a phautastie 
nature. 

It nevertheless seems to be more or lees the popular 
conception that it is the proper thing to endeavor to 
belittle or deride any economic move of the working 
class to wrest control from the exploitating class, with 
the everlasting contention it would be impractical, vis- 
ionary. and unsatisfactory. (Page 1023 of the \V. S., 
Feb. issue in ‘*The Outpost of the Moon’' illustrates this 
point to a certain degree.) In fact future races are 
even depicted as living under a social system like 
ours, as though it were the last word in human ach- 
ievement. 

They seem to want to disregard the scientific fact 
that a worker or laborer, is a producer of the social 
wealth, whether he pushes a pen or a wheel-barrow, 
and that a capitalist is one who appropriates this so- 
cial wealth for personal selfish manipulations. The 
capitalist class utilizes both skilled, and unskilled work* 
ers to exploit the natural resources, and in return for 
such services, give those who are lucky enough to have 
such employment, on the average, one-sixth of tbe 
amount of social wealth produced. The balance is 
economically known as surplus value — or capital — or 
unpaid labor. 

The capitalist class employs scientific workers to 
manage or supervise the industries, and protect this 
exploitive control, by employing other workers to 
promulgate unscientific economic theories, so that the 
worker is incapable of doing the very thing they are 
virtually doing — operating and managing the means 
of production and distrib^ution. 

The writer like others are of the opinion WONDER 
STORIES could better serve mankind by publishing 
stories with a more liberal and scientific outlook on 
economic questions rather than to publish sterotyped 
propaganda. It would at least appear more in line 
with scientific endeavor, for the entire world is more 
seriously contemplating making a social change. You 
certainly would not lose subscribers, but would gain 
attention and respect from the class which constitutes 
your readers. 

P. M. Vancuren, 

1011 Strong Ave,, 

Elkhart, Ind. 

(We believe that Mr, Vancuren has missed the 
poinrof Mr. Maxwell’s picture of the Ganymedian civl. 
lizatiou. What Mr. Maxwell stated and what all dis- 
interested people will admit is that people in a mass 
do not always have the final wisdom in managing the 
affair of a complicated civilization — that “the voice 
of the people is the voice of God” is not always true. 

The Ganymedian populace, Mr. M^well ^owed as 
being Impatient with the efforts of scientists to make 
discoveries in pure science^^ — they wanted them to turn 
their efforts directly into things of immediate use. 

Now we must admit that the man on the street 
may not always have the knowledge necessary to judge 
the value of the work of a scientist. Very often, too, 
scientists are prone to become academic on their work, 
and to spend the money of a nation for their own 
private speculations, when the money is urgently needed 
to alleviate human misery. 

But the conflict Mr. Maxwell paints b not at all one 
between capital and labor. • 

We deny any attempt at all to foster propaganda, or 
to suppress any social or political views whatsoever. 
The charge has been made before, and we deny it as 
emphatically now as we did then. We do not dictate 
what point of view our authors shall take, and we 
would just as cheerfully print one type of story as 
another so long as they are interesting. 

If our memory serves us correctly practically all 



WONDER STORIES 



1339 




the stolies of the future picture worlds in which busi- 
ness for profit has vanished, and all people *re en- 
sured comfort and happiness. These stories all pre- 
sume that a competitive civilization such as ours is a 
childish or antiquated device and that when man 
really grew up he got rid of it. We cannot see Mr. 
Vancuren’s contention that future states are pictured 
ftS unfair to the workers. — Editor, 



The Manufacture of Imitation Men 

Editor, WOEDEB STORIES \ 

I must first thank you for “Between Worlds” 
which I found most interesting. The manner in 
which the author explains the “Angels of Mens” was 
most original and effective. 

I think the new size of WONEER STORIES is a 
great improvement, and in spite of what Mr. Pancoast 
says in tho January issue, I think most readers will 
agree that it is more convenient than the original 
size. 

1^0 covers are usually much too lurid as Mr. Phillip 
Waite says, and in public attract attention (though 
this may be a good thing from your point of view I ) 
with its bright yellow— or otherwise— color. 

Now as to the stories: 

“Tho Time Annihilator,’* — very good. 

‘‘The Invulnerable Scourge,” — good. 

“Lords of the Beep,” — fair — although this is not 
iquite the type for WONDER STORIES, 

“The Outpost on the Moon,” — promises to be good. 

“The End of Time,” — good. 

“The Struggle for Venus,” — ^fair — sequel wanted. 

“The Satellite of Boom,” — fair. 

“The Flaming Cloud,” — good. 

“Beath From the Seas,” — quite good but not very 
'original. 

“The Gland Men of tho Island, — good. 

This was also unoriginal. There are many stor- 
ies dealing with a crack-brained Oriental (it is usu- 
ally a Chinaman) plotting to overrun the world with 
supermen, stupid out possessed of i great physical 
etrength. 

I don’t care for the stories that deal with the 
manufacture of imitation men either in the form 
of robots or actually of flesh and blood, such as 
“The Soulless Entity,” and “The Synthetic Men”. 

“The House in the Clouds,” “Hornets of Space” 
and “The Air Plant Men” I catalog as only fairly 
good. 

Give us more stories of the fourth dimension, or 
why not occasionally one of the fifth — ^traveling in 
time either backwards or forwards — and of course, 
interplanetary and inter-universal travel. 

As regards “The Reader Speaks,” by all means keep 
this up. I always read . these letters and am very 
interested in other people’s views. Mr. Editor, you 
must get black and blue from the “brick bats” that 
get slung at you by some people I How can you 
please everybody, though I think you do all you 
can to do so. I should not think editing a monthly 
magazine is exactly a bed of roses, (unless you in- 
clude the thorns I). 

I wish WONDER STORIES was published over 
here, then we would probably see it on every book- 
stall. As it is I have to place a special order with 
Librarie Hachette and I always have to wait ages 
between numbers. Science and Air Wonder Stories 
used to be sold at the stalls but were for some reason 
withdrawn. 

I am with Mr. Haggard in wanting the author s 
pictures removed. They only take up space and don’t 
really interest the reader. Who cares for the auth- 
or’s face? The story is the point that counts — not 
his physical beauty — or otherwise I 

As to more illustrations. Although they would 
certainly give one a much better idea of what the 
author writes about, it would take a lot out of the 
printing space and could only be counteracted by en- 
larging the magazine. 

Now — as to the old question — a love interest. Yes^ 
but for heaven’s sake keep it down. Bon’t let a 
good story of a scientific nature deteriorate into mere 
slush that can be bought by the ream at any stall. 

I think that the removal of “Science News of the 
Month” an improvement. Although interesting, one 
does not expect it in a science-fiction magazine, but I 
(Continued on Page 1340) 






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THE READER SPEAKS 

(.Continued from Page 1339) 

ti-'' ... v i..y 

like Mr. Gernsback’s editorials very much and hope 
they will be continued. 

I wish you every success in 1981. 

B. Murton, 

14 A Longridge Bosd, 

Eari’s Courh 
Loudon, S. W. 5, Eng. 

(From England we get this excellent resumfi of 
the stories, illustrations, and in fact everything. We 
wish to call Mr. Morton's attention to the new science 
fiction circle in England, mentioned in the March 
issue. The club promises well, and science fiction in 
the home of H. G. Welle is beginning to take its 
rightful place among other literature , — Eddtori 



Let Heroes Be Hachinee 

Editor WOEDES SXOBlESi 

In Mr. Gernsback’s editorial, in tko January Usue 
I find the following: 

*'lt is my opinion that U you eject a human being 
without protection from a space fiyer, ha will not 
have time to explode because he will probably be 
frozen solid instantaneously.” 

Very well. 

Now in ‘‘The Outpost on the Moon’* (in the same 
issue) I find this thought expressed: *"As soon as 
the machine left the atmosphere all the air between 
the outer and inner walls escaped leaving a perfect 
vacuum which prevented loss of heat by Convection.' ' 

N - . . - ....... 

the 

well - . . 

Mr. Gemsback assumes that the unfortunate man 
radiated all his heat into space which he describes as 
a vacuum. One wonders about the efficiency of a 
thermos bottle and similar **fireless cookers.” 

1^. Maxwell assumes that the vacuum will not ab* 
sorb heat. Hence his ship is warm. I have noticed 
in other interplanetary tales where the author has 
used double hull construction — with a vacuum be- 
tween—^ avoid radiation of heat into spaceman' 
other vacuum. Whyt 

Then there is the idea, familiar to readers* of the 
man in space being cooked on the sunward side and 
frozen on the other. From the foregoing it would ap- 
pear to me that the poor fellow would be well cookM 
— all through. 

Any arguments I 

As to the me^. Sometimes I think that the field of 
science fiction has been worked out like a rich pocket 
of gold. Like the western thrillers, they all seem to 
be copies of one original good story. Tlien some one 
comes along with fireworks in the form of a new idea 
and 1 get all enthused again. So I’m not kicking 
at all. 

Still I have noticed a tendency toward cheap sen- 
sationalism in the last year in science fiction. Not 
only “our” mag but others have developed a taste for 
shrieking damsels always helplesdy in the power of a 
sneering villain — and super-heroic tireless heroes who 
c-an maxe all sorts of Munders and live and never do 
much of anything until fifty minutes past the eleventh 
hour when they suddenly become masters of all sorts 
of science, language, etc. Too melodramatic by far. 

Will you please tell Paul to stick to the machines? 
His macMne drawings would be a source of inspiration 
to j*our best authors — and may have been often 
enough. But when it comes to humans— well, I may 
as well confess that it’s the last cover that got my 
goat. I gathered from the story that the woman was 
frowsy. Well Paul (was it Paul?) tried to overcome 
that. 

That stiff bold outline drawing I That blood-cot- 
ored dress against a yellow back. The man — ^being 
a machine man — looks almost human. The woman 
looks like a frozen -war figure in a melodramatic and 
unnatural pose. • „ , 

In conclusion, I read somewhere that the Naval 
observatory claims that mother earth has a taiL la 
this true! . , , ^ 

When you find an author who can treat romance 
as he can cold science, embrace him. He’s rare. 
But for cat’s sake keep your purely science-minded 
writers to pure science! Let your heroes be machines 
in science but let them be simply human in love I 

W. E. WUson, 
Naches, Wash. 




WONDER STORIES 



134£ 




(Mr. Wilson lists a full bill of complaints. We agree 
that science fiction is not perfect — it is too young too 
struggling, too new. It is now cutting its teeth so 

to speak, learninr — — ^ 

dom of the worh 
being it is sure to 



by experience, and getting the wis- 
to ^ow up into the strong, healthy 
become. 



As to science fiction exhausting itself, we are m 
complete disagreement with Mr. Wilson. Science fic* 
tion is just as inexhaustible as the ^ssible future of 
the race. THiie numl^r of possible futures, both in 
time and place are infinite, possibilities of wi» 

cnee and their effect on the race are infinite. 

It happens to aH of us that we reach a pOTod of 
days perhaps when everything palls on us. We feel 
sour, disappmnted, tired and bored. Then every- 
thing we see and touch is unimportant and worthless. 
In those dark periods, we must have faith and be 
patient. 

The necessity of the vacuum between the walls of 
the space ship, is not to prevent radiation but to pre- 
vent conduction of heat. Conduction is a phenomena 
that operates much differently than radiation. Thus 
the sun radiates heat to us across the vacuum _ of 
space, but it oould not conduct heat— for con^ction 
needs a material body for its transference. SK> ^the 
vacuum between the ship’s walls prevents conduction. 

The acquiring of a tail (?) by the earth is news to 
ua. We would like to hear more about it. — Editor,) 



THE READER SPEAKS 

■ - 



Was Honored to Attend 

Editor WONDER SXOBIESi 

I have been getting yonr magazine since the first 
isaue. But this is the first ^ time I have taken the 
trouble to give you my opiuion about it. 

However, before I do so, I wish to^ thank 1^, 
Hugo Gernsback, through whom I received an in- 
vitation from the American Interplanetary Society to 
attend an address by Eobert Esnault-Pelterie on “By 
^cket to the Moon. 

Unfortunately Mr. Pelterie was ill and could not 
attend. But the motion picture was shown and I 
wish to state that it was great. I would also like to 
say that I consider it an honor to receive a personal 
invitation to attend. And would state that if any 
other time something of this sort is featured I would 
like to know about it so that I might attend. 

And now for my opinion about your magazine. 
KYours too — Editor.) 

I think that it has every other scientific magazine on 
the market beat, so keep up the good work. I would 
like to have you publish more stories by Dr. David 
H. Keller, Charles R. Tanner and Bay Cummings. 

The first part of the “Return From Jupiter” writ- 
ten by Gawain Edward was very good. "From Out 
of the Earth” by Ed Earl Repp was excellent. And I 
wish Mr. Repp would write a sequel to this story so 
that I could learn what became of the monster. 

Harry E. Baker 
2823 Avenue D, 
Brooklyn, N, Y, 

(For Mr. Baker’s information and that of other in- 
terested readers, we understand that the American In- 
terplanetary Society holds meetings at the American 
Museum of Natural History, 77th St. and Central 
Park West, New York, every two weeks, at which 
times the various phases of interplanetary travel are 
discussed. 

The last meeting was on the evening of February 
20 when Nathan Schachner, well known to readers 
of WONDKE Stories (half of Zagat and Schachner 
team) discussed the problems of “Rocket Construc- 
tion.” The next meeting will be on March B and the 
one after that on March 20, all at the same place 
and time. — Editor.) 



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.WONDER STORIES 




Be sure to read the announce' 
ment on page 1227 

of the 

WONDER STORIES 
QUARTERLY 



THE READER SPEAKS 

(Continued from Page 1341) 



Nothing a$ Gripping ^ 

Editor, WONDER STORIES: 

1 have just finished reading the March issue of 
Tour magazine and hasten to write you to tell you 
how good it is. Two stories stand out head and 
ahouldera from the rest. I refer to *‘Back to 20,000 
A.D.” and “The Return from Jupiter,” with the first 
named story in the lead. 

It is a long time since I have read anything as 
gripping as that last scene in “Back to 20,000 A.D.” 
when the earth race from Neptune go out one by one 
to fight Jed. What a conception that Jed is too. It 
held me tense in my seat to the very last word. The 
whole tale showed us a picture of a far olf future 
that is exceptionally imaginative and yet quite prob- 
able. I read Schachner & Zagat’s &st story, and 
this is even better, wonderful as that was. More 
power to these two authors. Give us more of their 
stuff. 

And Edwards too, **The Return from Jupter” is 
not quite as good as his “Rescue from Jupiter” which 
I remember as a very fine story, but toward the end 
it got into full swing. The next installment should be 
a humdinger. 

The other stories in the issue were pretty ^ood with 
the exception of- the “Synthetic Monster” which is old 
stuff. I haviB read lots of stories just like it, and 
“From Out the Earth” which is terrible. This fel* 
low Repp never did strike me as being much of a 
writer, and this one proves it. Don’t print any more 
like it. 

Now that I have gotten all my likes and dislikes 
off my chest I’ll say that Wondeb Stobibs is the best 
magazine in the field, and I read all of them. 

Byron Massel, 
c/o Frank & Seder, 

11th St, & Market St., 
Philadelphia, Pa. 

(For Mr. Massel's information, as a devotee of 
Schachner and Zagat, we call his attention to “The 
Emperor of the Stars” in this issue. We think our 
readers will find it a worthy successor to “Back to 
20,000 A.D.” We expect to have some interestii^ 
news soon about a new work from the pen of Gawain 
Edwards. — Editor . ) 



SCIENCE QUESTIONS AND 
ANSWERS 

(Continued from Page 1330) 



Aurora Borealis 

Editor Science Questions and Answers: 




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Would you please answer for me the following 
questions: 

1. What is the Aurora Borealis! 

2. W^hat causes it! 

Sam Appelbaum, 

1200 So. Market St., 

Canton, Ohio. 

<!• The Aurora Borealis or northern lights is a 
brilliant display of colored light seen rising above the 
earth consisting of irregular patches and dancing col- 
umns of light rapidly changing forms* Its beams* 
often of various hues, are found to be virtually par- 
allel to the free magnetic needle which points toward 
the magnetic north pole. 

2. The exact cause of them is not known. The as- 
sumption is that they are caused by electrical di»- 
charges between the earth (which is really a magnet) 
and the sun’s magnetic influence. Hence during ex- 
tensive displays of the aurora, there is a great dis- 
turbance caused to telegraphy and radio indicating 
an effect of electrical nature. 

The frequency of the aurora, that is the period be- 
tween the time of maximum display has been calcu- 
lated as 11 years. Since sun spots also appear in 11 
year periods, a close connection between the two is be- 
lieved to exist. 

There is a similar display near the south pole called 
aurora australis or southern lights, while the term 
aurora polaris or polar lights is used to indicate botii 
displays.— Editor) 








WONDER STORIES 



1343 




EXPERIMENTS IN ATOMIC SCIENCE 
FOR THE AMATEUR by James L. Clif- 
ford, 120 pages, illustrated, stiff cloth 
covers. Size 5% x 8. Published by 
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Kew developments in atomic science are not con- 
fined exelnsively to highly trained scientists. Our 
knowledge about the atom and some of its energy 
manifestations have advanced far enough to permit 
of experiments in a simple laboratory to delight the 
amateur. Some of these possible experiments our 
author outlines in this volume. 

There are experiments with radioactive substances; 
the gold leaf electroscope, osmosis, ultra violet and 
■photo-electric effects and many others. The point of 
the author is that young experimenters can do much to 
keep alive an interest m this comparatively new field 
of scientific exploration, and perhaps make discoveries 
of value. 

Such experiments, Mr. Clifford states, are not ex- 
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can be obtained for ten dollare, to carry out the ex* * 
periments be outlines. This radium however is merely 
a small part of a crude ore, unrefined. 

' Experiments with radium, even the little tests that 
give visual indication of the presence and activity of 
radium, should prove fascinating to the experimenter 
and open up a new world of intriguing interest. 



FLIGHTS FROM CHAOS by Harlow Shap- 
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covers. Size 5% x 8%. Published by 
Whittesley House, McGraw-Hill Com- 
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I)r. Shapley, who is director of the Harvard OV 
servatory, takes us out of our calm vision of the uni- 
verse by doing two contradictory thina. Eirst, he 
indicates the unlimited diversity of material systems 
in the universe, from the microcosmic, the ultra-smalU 
to the macxocosmic, that part ei the universe- open 
to man’s senses. He then nroce^s to show that it is 
not all as bad as it soun^, that in this w^ter and 
confusion of material systems, order can be estalHisbed. 
Once creating chaos, he shows how we can escape 
from it. 

Hie purpose is te organize the material world mto 
definite groups, and thence to find the relationship 
between these groups, and perhaps the meaning of 
them. Beginning with a classification of the ul&a* 
microscopic which he leaves unnamed, for any possible 
contingency, his groups are; corpuscles (which in- 
clude electrons, protons and lifl^t quanta), atoms, 
molecules, molecular systems, ooTloidal or crystalline 
aggregates (which includes biologic entities such as 
man), meteoritic associations, satellite systems, plane- 
tary structures, double and multiple stars, galactic 
clusters, globular clusters and on up to the Universe 
Uhe space-time complex). 

And even here at the furthest reach of man’s vision 
he must leave the door open for a still higher entity, 
which Dr. Shapley prefers not to define. Curiously 
enough he places man midway between the small and 
the great. But these classifications he gives us with 
a great deal of humility. “A few decades ago,” he 
says, “not even the atoms would have been admitted 
to the society of systems. Atoms were little hard 
chunks of matter, indivisilfie by grace ef name and 
experience and scientific dogma. Experience certain- 
ly recommends caution in asserting any lower limit 
in the organization of the microcosmos.” 

In our common elements, too, he leaves the door 
open. With Jeans he agrees that uranium need not 
ba the heaviest of metals. Jeans surmises that these 
heavy elements, “may be highly radioactive, like the 
known atoms from radium to uranium, and that the 
ultimate source of stellar energy can be sought suc- 
cessfully in the spontaneous decay of heavy unstable 
elements in the stellar interiors,” 

Tho hook serves admirably the purpose of organizing 
our chaoiio netiMa about the infinitely diversified uni- 
verse. It parall^s the attempt ef Jeans, *who in his 
“Mysterious Universe” seeks ever and ever an ex- 
planation. 



Over tite Mgttntaiiis 

fiVMiloskii^es 

on 

AX 





Think of it I FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY-NTNE MILES ovet 
rough moustiineus country burning only ELEVEN GALLONS 
OFGASOUNE. Imagine more tha» FIFTY MILES TO THE 
GALLON. That Is what the WHIRLWIND CARBURETING 
DEVICE does tor D. R. Gilbert, eneugh e{ a saviag oa Jvtl 
one trip to more than pay the cost ot the Whirlwiad. 

lKWiniU.WINItSNIE$ HnOUfiS 
MuiiMs.OFDoiuiisiiuur 

Whirlwind users, reporting the results el &elr tests, are amazed si 
the results they are getting. Letters keep streaming Into the oiSfQ 
telling of mllcagea all the way from 23 te SPmUcs on a gallon* re- 
sulting in a saring of from 25% to 50% iiv gae bills alone. 

Marie A. Estes writes, *T was making 17 miles to the gallon on my 
Pontiac Coupe. Today, with the Whirlwind, 1 am making 35 S-IB 
miles to the gaUon.” 

P. P. Goerzen writes: *'34>6-10 miles with the Whislwfad. or a gahs 
«l 21 miles to the gallon.'* 

R. J. Tulpt **The Whirlwind Increased the mileage on our Ford 
truck from 12 1» 26 miles to gallon and 25% la speed.” 

Cat owners all orcr the world are saving money every day with 
the Whirlwind, besides having better operattng motors. Think what 
this moans oa your own car. Figure up yeorsavings — enough for a 
radio — a bank account-padded pleasures. Why let the Oil Com- 
panies profit hy youa waster Find out ah o a t tiiis amazing UttSa 
device that will pay for itself every few weeks. 



In fust a few minutes the Whirlwind can be Installed on any make 
of car, truck or tractor. It’s actually Um work than changing your 
<nl, or putting water in your battery. No drilling, tapping or 
changes of any kind necessary. It Is guaranteed to work perfectly 
<m any make of car, truck or tractor. Urge or small, new model or 
«ld i n^ o l. The more you drive the more you will save. % 
SALESMEN AND DI8TRIBUTOIIS WANTED 
TO HAKE 17P TO $100.00 a Wetk and IfIoT6 

Whirlwind men are making big profits supplying tbll 
fast selling doviee that car owners canaot afford to be 
wiHieuC. Good territory is still open. Free sample offer 
to workers. Full particulars sent on request. Just check 
the coupon- 

^1 T A D A No matter what kind of a car 

* tit* you, have — no matter how big 
gas eater it is— Tbo Whirlwind will save you money. 
We absolutely guarantee that the Whirlwind will more 
than save Its cost In gasoline alone within thirty days, 
or the trial will cost you nothing. We invite you to test 
it at our risk and expense. You are to be the sole ludge. 

— — — free offer coupon — — — 

WHIRLWIND MFG. CO. 

Dept. 515-A, Station C, Milwaukee, Wis. 

GenUemen: You may send me full particulars of your 
Whirlwind Carbureting device and tell me bow I can get 
one free. This does not obligate me in any way whatever. 

Name 

A.ddress 

City 

County State 

( ) Check here if you are interested in full or part 
time salesmen position. j 



itC AAA WILL BE PAID TO ANTONS 
PD|UUVwHO PROVES THAT THU 
is not the aetoa) photo ot myself showing 
my superb physique and how the Ross Sys- 
tem has increased my own height to 6 
ft. 3 9-^ inches. 

Hundred* of Testimonials. Clients up to 

*5 years old gain 1 to 6 in. In few weeks. 

No Appliances. No drugs. No dieting. lu 1907 

Ross System Never Falls. Fee Ten. Dol- First Today 
lars Complete. Convincing Testimony and Particulars 
9 cent stamp. 'Allow time for return mails across the 
Atlantic.” G. MALCOLM R088. Height Speelallst, 
Scarborough» England (P. 0. Box 15). 




PATENTS— TRADE MARKS 

All oases submitted given personal 
attention by members of the firm. 
Information and ioohlet froe. 

Patent Office & Federal Court Practice 
LANCASTER, ALLWINE & ROMMEL 
PATENT iLAW OFFICES 
475 Ouray Bldg., Washington, D. C. 



Why waste time 

on old fashioned methods 



— when you -can learn to play 
at home ‘without a teacher 

D ON’T let the thought of long years of tire- 
some practice scare you away from learn- 
ing to play ! Don’t ' let the thought of an 
expensive private teacher keep you from' let- 
ting your dreams come time! Fqr you — 
anyone — can easily teach yourself to play — 
right in your own home, in your spare lime, 
and at only a fraction of what old, siow 
methods cost ! 

It’s so easy! Just look at that sketch at the 
right. The note in the first space is always f. 
The note in the second space is always a. The 
way to know the notes that come in these four 
spaces’ is simple to remember that they spell 
face. 

Now, isn’t that simple? You don’t have to 
know one note from another in order to begin. 
For the U. S. School way explains everything 
as you go along — both in print and picture — 
so that, almost before you know it, you are 
playing real tunes and melodies right from the 
notes. 

You simply can’t go ivrong. First you are 
told what to do, then the picture shows you 
how to do it — then you do it yourself and hear 
it. No private teacher could make it any 
clearer. 

Easy as A-B-C 





Easy as C 



If you can read the 
alphabet you can learu 
to play your favorite 
iiu-tri ment in jimt a 
feir uinuthfi. 



No wonder over .000,000 men and women have learned 
to play this eusv wayl For this famous course is bas<d 
on,' Bound, fundamental musical principles, liighly him* 
plified. It's not a “trick” or '’stunt” method. You 
li arn to play* from notes, as the best musicians do. 

You hnrn to pick up any piece of music, read it, and 
underttand it. 

No time is wasted on thiorics. Tom get all the 
ral facts. You get the real meaning of musical notation, 
time, automatic fing« r control, liarmony. 

You'll find yourself stud>ing the U. S. School way 
with a smile. Your own home is your studio. The 
lessons come to you by 
mail. They consist of 
complete printed instruc- 
tions, diagrams, all the 
music you need. There 
are no dry-as-dust excr- 
eises to struggle through. 
Instead,- it’s just like 
])'aying a game — you 
h arn so fast 1 

No Talent 
Needed 

Forgit the o d-fash* 
ioned idea that \oii luu d 
*|tylent.” Just read the 
list of instnime nis in the 
panel, dicide which one 
you want to play and tlie 
L*. S. School of Music 
will do the rist. And 
remember — no matter 
which in.strument you 
chim e, the co>t iu each 
case will overage just the 
sum — only a few cents 
a day. 



You’ll never regn*t having learmd to play. For those 
who can entertain with music ut parlies — wlio can snap 
up things with ptppy numlers — are always sought after, 
always sure of a good time! Start noir and surprise 
your friends I 

Free Book and Demonstration Lesson 

“Music Lessons in Your Own Home" is an interesting 
little book that is yours for the asking. M'ith this free 
book we will send you a typical demonstration les.son that 
proves b: tt<r than words, how quickly and easily you cun 
learn to play your favorite instrument by note — in less 
than half the time and at a fraction of the cost of old. 
>lo\v methods — the F. S. School way. The booklet will 
:'lso tell you all about the amazing new Antomatif 
Fiti'jir Control. 

If you rrally want to play — if m w friends, good tim(*.s, 
social popularity, and increased income up})caT to \on— • 
clip and mail the coupon N()\V. Instruments supplied 
when needed, cash or credit. U. S. SCHOOL OP 

New York Cit\ . 

U. S. SCHOOL OF MUSIC 

.)C4 Brunswick Building, New York City 

Please send me your free book. “Music Lessons in Your 
()•• II Home,” with inlroduction hy Dr. Frank Crane, 
Free Demonstration Lesson, and particulars of your easy 
payment plan. I am inter»sted in the following course — 

Have }ou 

in.struim iit 1 L .... 

I aim* 

(1 d ss 
City 



Choose Your Course 

Piano ' < Piccolo 
O n-n ’Cello 
Violin Sight Singing 
Drums Ukulele 
and Traps Hawaiian 
Guitar Steel Guitai 

Mandolin Clarinet 
Harp Flute 

Cernet Saxophone 
T rombone 

Voice & Speech Cultun 
Harmony & Compositior 
Automatic Finger 
Control 

Piano Accordion 
Italian and German 
Accordion 

* Banjo (Plectrum, 5- 
String or Tenor) 



State. 



i 



D(mble\s\ue-D(mbleM 





*75 



Elsewhere 



Year 
to Pay 



DOUBLE VALUE — because this 
attractive 3-piece Bed -Davenport 
Suite would cost fully $75 elsewhere. 
DOUBLE SERVICE — because it’s a 
beautiful living room suite with full-sized 
bed section in Davenport. A marvel for 
the money — a dream of thrift come true. 
You’ll say $49.95 never before bought 
halfsomuch. You’reright! Butyoudon’t 
have to send $49.95 now — send only $l 
with order. Take 30 days FREE trial. Satisfy 
yourself that this is an unusual value. Then 
take a Year to Pay — in easy monthly 
payments. Order now — this suite will sell by 
the thousands. Everybody will want to take 
advantage of this unusual opportuHity— $76 
value for $49.95. Send in your order today. 
Imagine this attractive bed-davenport, 
cozy club rocker and fireside wing chair 
-’^TNypur home. What comfort, what rest, 
what pleasure they will give! And how 
beautiful ! The serviceable Blue and Taupe 
Figured Velour covering is snugly and 
smoothly tailored in rich overstuffed style. 
An excellent grade with a handsome pattern 
that will harmonize with any furnishings. 



NSW FREE BOOKi 

1931 ^ Biggest Bargains 



FREE Credit — Freely Given 

Lowest Prices in Years ! Biggest 
Values ever ! Now is the time to 
I buy— when your buyingdollars are 
the bitf>rest in years— when credit 
terms are easiest. Send today for 
, this new FREE Book of 1384 Bar- 
gains! Savings of 25% to 40%. Year 
to Fay. 30 Days FREE Trial, New 
styles, new features. Bedroom, 
li^ng room, dining room spites, 
lamps, rugs, silverware, draperies, 
carpets, stoves, washing machines, 

E honographs — everything for the 
ome. Clothing, too! On Credit! 



Note particularly the smart 
looking cord welts of Davenport. 

The sturdy, attractive 
hardwood frames are finely 
finished in Brown Mahogany. 
Inner construction 
guarantees comfort and 
serviceability. There are 18 
coil springs in the davenport 
seat and 9 in the seat of each 
chair, all overlaid with sanitary 
interior upholstering materials, giving 
resilience and restful comfort. Backs, 
arms and seats are well padded. Very 
handsome. Will give years of wear. 

Comfortable Bed-Davenport is 

62 in. wide overall and 49 in. between 
thearms. Seat is 21 in. deep,back 18V& 
in. above seat. You do not sleep on the 
upholstery. No, indeed! The bed section 
has its own comfortable link fabric 
spring. With one easy motion you 
transform the davenport into a double 
bed, 72 x 48 in. Gives you service 24 
hours a day, an investment in economy 
and comfort you should not miss. 



Mail the coupon today. You 

haveSO days FREE home trial and 
ayear to pay if you keep the suite. 
Spear treats everybody squarely. 
No quibbling. No argument. 

Order No. H A 429 S 9 3-piece 
Bed-Davenport Suite. Sale 
Pricey only $49.9$. Sale 
Terms: $1 with order, $ 4.75 
monthly. 



O 1931 
SperT & Co. 



*^Spear&Co.<* 

Dept. W-801^ Pittsburi^, Pa, 
Home Furniahera to tn^reopie 
of America for 38 Yeara 



The Fireside Chair 

(seldom included in 
low priced suites) has 
padded side wings, 
making a cozy head rest. Back 
24 in. high above seat, which 
measures 21 x 19 in. Club rocker has 
seat 21 X 19 in., with club style back, 
IbVy in. high. Both chairs are 33 in. 
wideoverall. A comfortable size. 

30 DAYS FREE HOME TRIAL 
If you are not completely satisfie<l, 
return the 3-piece suite and we will 
cheerfully refund your first payment 
and the freight charges both ways. 



SPEAR & CO., Dept. W-801, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Send me at once the 3-piece Bed-Davenport Suite described 
above. Enclosed is $1 first paynient. It is understood that, at 
the end of 30 days trial, if I am satisfied. I will send you 
$4.75 monthly. Order No. II A 4295. Price $49.96. Title 
remains with you until paid in full. 



Name ... 

R. F. D.. ] 

Box No. or \ ............ 

St.andNo. ] 

Post Office j State ... 

FREE r If you want our FREE catalog only, send no i I 

Ofi 1 money, put an X in snuare a'*d write your | | 

Mkw tname and address plainly on above lines, ‘ * 

i 

I 



tL'4 




1 




1344 



\ 

WONDER STORIES 




“SOUTH OF THE MASON-DIXON LINE*^ 
b but. another way of saying 
“Hospitality” 

HOTEL LUDY 

South Carolina Avenue at the Boardwalk 
Atlantic City’s Newest 
Centrally Located Fireproof Hotel 
is South of the Mason-Dixon Line. 

are as pleasing as its hospitality. 
$5 up Daily 

American Plan $30 up Weekly; 

$2.50 up Daily European Plan 
Fireproof Garage Attached 
R. B. LUDY, M. D. 





Around the corner from the 
Little Church around the Corner 


Hotel Seville 


i 

i 

j 

i 

1 

j 

1 


MADISON AVENUE 
^ 29th Street 

A hotel of distinction and comfort within 
walking distance of shopping and amuse- 
ment centers. Five minutes from Times 
Square, Pennsylvania Station and Grand 
Central Terminal. 

Room $^.00 Per 

and Bath Day Up 

Convenient to all 
points of interest 



A SPECIAL OFFER TO NEW READERS— Eight months subscription to WONDER STORIES for 
11.00. Send remittance to WONDER STORIES, 98 Park Place, New York City.